tighten

verb

tight·​en ˈtī-tᵊn 

tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ 

ˈtī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make tight or tighter

intransitive verb

: to become tight or tighter

tightener

ˈtīt-nər, 

ˈtī-tᵊn-ər 

noun

see also:

tighten one's belt

Synonyms of tighten

• tense
• stretch

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

The less-than-truckload (LTL) market further tightened in the third quarter, as more carriers with spare terminal capacity picked up freight that truckload carriers can no longer move cheaply or reliably. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026

Hinojosa’s odds to win have jumped from 8% in mid-July to 40% on Monday, with many of those gains coming in recent weeks as a series of polls have shown the race to be tightening. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

As the company navigates fierce critics and a wave of communities outside the Atlanta area ending their contracts, Flock has been tightening some standards on its own, nationwide. — Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

The first trails the siblings through a rough and unpredictable world; the second tightens its focus on their inner lives. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tighten

• tighten one's belt
• tighten/put the thumbscrews on
• tighten the noose
• tighten the purse strings
• tighten the screws
• tighten up

Rhymes for tighten

• brighten
• chitin
• frighten
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• enlighten
• exciton
• periphyton

Kids Definition

tighten

verb

tight·​en ˈtīt-ᵊn 

tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become tight or tighter

tightener

-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun