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

Phrases

tighten one's belt

: to practice strict economy

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

Florida officials are urging horse owners to tighten biosecurity after multiple horses that competed at recent rodeo events in Texas and Oklahoma tested positive for a potentially dangerous virus, though no related cases have been detected in Florida, the state said Thursday. —Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Her episode was on the period 1930 to 1945, during which fascism tightened its grip on Portugal, the start of a four-decade long reign of terror, presided over by António de Oliveira Salazar. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025

Millions of Americans who rely on food assistance will see major changes to their SNAP benefits starting in December, as new federal rules tighten work requirements and narrow who is exempt from these requirements. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Airshow accidents were common in the 1970s, but have become rare at the top aerospace events as safety restrictions were tightened in recent decades. —Shivam Patel, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tighten

• 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