tautening

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tautening
Verb
  • They are favored to win the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, though the former appears to be tightening.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The tightening polls also came after Cornyn leaned into the Texas redistricting fight, garnering attention for calling on the FBI to help bring back Democrats who had fled the state in protest against efforts to redraw the maps.
    Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses.
    Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Tautening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautening. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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