tighten

verb

tight·​en ˈtī-tᵊn How to pronounce tighten (audio)
tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ How to pronounce tighten (audio)
ˈtī-tᵊn-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to become tight or tighter
tightener
ˈtīt-nər
ˈtī-tᵊn-ər How to pronounce tighten (audio)
noun
Phrases
tighten one's belt
: to practice strict economy

Examples of tighten in a Sentence

She tightened her hold on the handle. tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking
Recent Examples on the Web Find it on Amazon This Red Light Wand Works Magic Bring the power of red light therapy to your beautiful skin with this Red Light Wand that will not only tighten your skin and lift your face but fight against wrinkles too. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 The pants come with super-wide legs and an elastic drawstring waistband that can be loosened or tightened depending on your preference. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2024 Since 2020, the nation’s electoral apparatus has upgraded its equipment, tightened its procedures, improved its audits, and hardened its defenses against subversion by bad actors, foreign or domestic. Barton Gellman, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 Almost immediately, the polls tightened, showing Harris and Trump neck-and-neck. Lucille Sherman, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tighten 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tighten was circa 1727

Dictionary Entries Near tighten

Cite this Entry

“Tighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tighten

verb
tight·​en ˈtīt-ᵊn How to pronounce tighten (audio)
tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ How to pronounce tighten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become tight or tighter
tightener
-nər How to pronounce tighten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tighten

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