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Recent Examples of tightened
Dr. Nikki Romanik, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
And when figurative financial belts are tightened, nonessential goods like snacks oftentimes land on the chopping block (which, in turn, could lead to literal belt-tightening).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The pockets are ample, and the hood is tightened with a drawstring.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Lockjaw, who has only tightened over the years, has discovered Bob and Willa’s whereabouts, and has sent in troops to apprehend them.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey found both Sherrill and Ciattarelli receiving 43 percent support, with a separate 11 percent undecided — underscoring how the race has tightened in the final stretch before the November election.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
The city responded by passing a hotel licensing ordinance in 2021 that tightened the rules on overnight stays, especially long-term stays.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
But Amazon has since tightened its vetting, according to interviews with sellers and e-commerce consultants.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
At one client, this strategy cut unauthorized connections by 70% and tightened both collaboration and compliance.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Rolling back the terminology means reprinting guidance, rewriting websites, and retraining staff—all at a time when health budgets have tightened.
—Dr. Nikki Romanik, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
And when figurative financial belts are tightened, nonessential goods like snacks oftentimes land on the chopping block (which, in turn, could lead to literal belt-tightening).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The pockets are ample, and the hood is tightened with a drawstring.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Lockjaw, who has only tightened over the years, has discovered Bob and Willa’s whereabouts, and has sent in troops to apprehend them.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey found both Sherrill and Ciattarelli receiving 43 percent support, with a separate 11 percent undecided — underscoring how the race has tightened in the final stretch before the November election.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
The city responded by passing a hotel licensing ordinance in 2021 that tightened the rules on overnight stays, especially long-term stays.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
But Amazon has since tightened its vetting, according to interviews with sellers and e-commerce consultants.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
At one client, this strategy cut unauthorized connections by 70% and tightened both collaboration and compliance.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened
Verb
-
Muscles get tensed and strained.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The muffled, percussive sounds of the firing range could be heard through the walls, and my body tensed with every pop.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bryant wrote that his finger remained inflexible for the rest of his life.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Traditional chainmail suits were protective, but were inflexible and too heavy for surfing or diving.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Protect your peace by keeping your word, especially if you’re feeling stretched for time.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Raya somehow managed to throw himself in the air — fully stretched — and get a fingertip to the ball, parrying it out for a corner, which drew a rapturous ovation from the Arsenal fans.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With over 30,000 five-star reviews, this is a budget-friendly winner for those looking for a firmer foam mattress.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
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More specifically, Timberland’s iconic wheat boots and field boots had a firm grip on inner-city consumers who had repurposed the shoes for street style.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Martin, who is fifty-four, is the most commercially successful songwriter of the twenty-first century; his work is meticulous and precise, and his songs are taut, balanced, unyielding.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In a market chock full of unknowns, there is an unyielding rhythm on Wall Street.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Symptoms can be severe and include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes following gastrointestinal symptoms.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Beat heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The action is taut, the stakes are clear, and Kirk never misses a chance to remind us that all of these are just regular people who’ve crossed paths in a dark place.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In one of the film’s tautest sequences, they’re caught swimming in a neighbor’s pool by a caretaker (Damien Bonnard), and Sana must decide whether to pay off the man to keep his silence.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Demonstrate inclusion and psychological safety by ensuring that returning to the office does not feel like a rigid, one-size-fits-all policy.—
Peter Cappelli,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Hough thought his performance was stiff and rigid, though, and lacked fluidity.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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