as in tying
to attach (someone or something) to something else by or as if by means of a line or cord
I tethered the boat to the dock before coming ashore.
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Recent Examples of tethering
One delayed tethering himself to Cignetti — a Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America defensive back.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
Either option requires a hospital stay of around two to three days, and the recovery afterward can be shorter for tethering.
—Kate Snow, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
It was designed to give employers leverage over foreign workers by tethering their immigration status to their job.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Those questions from reporters may soon be the last thing left tethering the President to at least some form of reality.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
Just a few kilometers away, a black bear sniffs and studies the device tethering it to a tree.
—Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Thanks to the tethering process, his memories of the last year have been wiped, leaving only a man known as Red, a ruthless shadow and former contract killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Rather than tethering them to screens, students prototyped with cardboard, paper, and recycled materials.
—Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Pet owners in Milwaukee might need to start microchipping their animals and follow tight regulations on tethering — that is, if two major animal organizations can find common ground.
—Sophia Tiedge, jsonline.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
Either option requires a hospital stay of around two to three days, and the recovery afterward can be shorter for tethering.
—Kate Snow, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
It was designed to give employers leverage over foreign workers by tethering their immigration status to their job.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Those questions from reporters may soon be the last thing left tethering the President to at least some form of reality.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
Just a few kilometers away, a black bear sniffs and studies the device tethering it to a tree.
—Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Thanks to the tethering process, his memories of the last year have been wiped, leaving only a man known as Red, a ruthless shadow and former contract killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Rather than tethering them to screens, students prototyped with cardboard, paper, and recycled materials.
—Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Pet owners in Milwaukee might need to start microchipping their animals and follow tight regulations on tethering — that is, if two major animal organizations can find common ground.
—Sophia Tiedge, jsonline.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tethering
Verb
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Those are some candy shoes, Grejo said, jutting his chin toward Adi’s feet while tying what looked to be a length of thick fishing leader around his bicep.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of tying and teasing the hair on top of the head, the body of it was slicked over and gathered around the neck.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because of this binding effect, kratom can be addictive.—
Gary Kirkilas II,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
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While the date isn’t necessarily binding—the discretionary target may present an opportunity for Main Street to continue its fundraising efforts into next week—the situation is a source of great concern for the 29 MLB, NBA and NHL franchises whose local TV rights are tied to the RSN group.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vance often has served as an attack dog for the administration, including lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an Oval Office visit.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
21 Jan. 2026
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Chappell took to social media to vent some of her ire, lashing out at the Biden administration.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tethering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tethering. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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