TAUTEN Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tauten

verb

ˈtȯ-tᵊn

Definition of tauten

as in to tighten

to draw tight he tautened the rope and then tied it off

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tauten From that queasiness comes bristly tension, tautening and deepening what otherwise seems a low-key, low-stakes character study, and eventually a sweet, conciliatory sliver of hope too. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023 Pimples pop, pupils dilate, tendons tauten, and breathing gets so shallow that people fall into respiratory acidosis. — John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 20 Apr. 2022 Those systems use hydraulics or electromagnetic fluids to soften or tauten the ride. — Jack Stewart, WIRED, 9 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tauten

Verb

While saying investors shouldn't abandon the market altogether, Cramer stressed the universe of stocks that can work in a tightening cycle is shrinking.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
The Houthis’ tightening grip over shipping in the Red Sea has fueled fears that the main escape valves for the region’s oil are slamming shut, as Iran and the US continue battling for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

— Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of tighten

Verb

The women tensed when the deputy warden of the Rostov jail, a curt, imperious man with a heavy-footed gait, walked in.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
As that handover proceeds, the excitatory signal that keeps your muscles faintly tensed all day begins to withdraw, and muscle tone drops toward the near-paralysis of deep sleep.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of tense

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taut

tauten

tautened

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“Tauten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tauten. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of tauten

verb

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