TIGHTEN Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tighten

verb

ˈtī-tᵊn

Definition of tighten

as in to tense

to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

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Example Sentences

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 tighten When enrollment falls or finances tighten, classroom positions and student opportunities should not be the first or only places leaders look. — Clinton McCracken, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026 But the special interest groups and extremism have tightened their grips on both parties, turning things ugly. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026 Advertisement Honeycutt, a close ally of Kennedy, had previously threatened to back some Democratic candidates in the midterm elections if Republicans failed to act on MAHA priorities, including tightening pesticide regulations and nutrition reform. — Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 5 Nov. 2026 Democrats gained gubernatorial seats in Nevada, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, where candidates campaigned on tightening data center regulations. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tighten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tighten

Verb

Even an Impractical Joker, after hundreds of public challenges and punishments designed to push the limits of embarrassment, could still tense up when a cellphone camera caught him experimenting with a new bit.

— Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of tense

Verb

The Kamiński/Spielberg collaboration, which now stretches over 30 years and more than 20 films, has to count as one of the most significant artistic collaborations in American cinema history.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2026
The disparate destinations of McPherson’s childhood, farms that stretched to Gainesville connected on smaller roads, were morphing, but to Woodrow’s eyes, big-deal nights out still seemed distant.

— Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of stretch

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tight

tighten

tightened

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“Tighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tighten. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of tighten

verb

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