tighten up
verb
tightened up; tightening up; tightens up
: to become more strict or effective or to make (something) more strict or effective
Security around the building has tightened up recently.
They tightened up security around the building.
Examples of tighten up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cora said Anthony couldn’t pinpoint exactly when or how his back tightened up, only that it was brought to his attention during the game.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The Spurs need to tighten up around the margins to account for the upcoming regression from 3-point range.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Apr. 2026
His change-of-direction fluidity can tighten up.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
But Minnesota, despite giving up a lot of shots against, has tightened up to limit the danger of those chances since the Olympics.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
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Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The Spurs need to tighten up around the margins to account for the upcoming regression from 3-point range.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Apr. 2026
His change-of-direction fluidity can tighten up.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
But Minnesota, despite giving up a lot of shots against, has tightened up to limit the danger of those chances since the Olympics.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
Cite this Entry
“Tighten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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