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

Its hot iron core -- oversized for such a small world -- cools and contracts along with the mantle and crust, tightening the surface like a girdle to fit its new slimmer self. — Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026

Inflation has remained sticky and above central-bank targets over the past year, making further policy tightening unsurprising, according to the UBS CEO. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Anthropic has responded by tightening access to high-risk biological queries and expanding safeguards around sensitive research. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Silicate films of this kind are common across the immediate-tightening category. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 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