tautening

verb

present participle of tauten
as in tightening
to draw tight he tautened the rope and then tied it off

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tautening
  1. tightening
  2. tensing
Verb
  • In this perspective, restricting ballot delivery to names on new federal voter lists, and tightening Postal Service handling of ballots, is framed as a necessary safeguard against systemic abuse of mail voting.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes increasingly costly with no end in sight, the Kremlin has kept tightening its grip over Russian society.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tightening
Verb
  • Ewing has recognized his shoulders tensing and his upper body going stiff.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
  • Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of tensing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tautened
tautening
tautens
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Cite this Entry

“Tautening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautening. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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