tightened 1 of 2

tightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tighten
as in tensed
to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tightened
Verb
Camp Pendleton has tightened access to the sprawling Marine base in North County in the wake of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025 But the Pole tightened when on the front foot in two baseline exchanges, moving forward at the wrong time and letting Fritz move out in front. James Hansen, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 The Biden administration tightened those restrictions in October 2023 and once again in December 2024. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 3 Jan. 2025 State Farm General, Farmers, Allstate and other companies have all declined to write or limited new policies, or tightened their underwriting standards. Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025 The automobile manufacturer said in the NHTSA recall report that the front upper control arm ball joint nut may not be tightened properly. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024 Department officials have tightened their camera policy, and raised the possibility of using AI to review the countless hours of footage that goes unseen each month. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024 The Commanders tightened their defensive alignment after Hurts exited the game. Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024 The defense tightened when Walker replaced David Long as the starting inside linebacker in November. Omar Kelly, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened
Adjective
  • Some sources, like nuclear energy, are reliable but inflexible.
    Erin Baker, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Make sure all backup data is encrypted and inflexible.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Roll the balls, and flash freeze on baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer-safe zip-top bags and freeze for up to three months.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 22 May 2025
  • By the end of the conversation, and with the benefit of any prior ones, the model may have a very firm, and potentially accurate, idea of how much money the buyer is ready to spend.
    Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • My Focus My own mistakes have informed my unyielding focus on family.
    Ken Polk, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Most impactful is the film’s focus on the adult son of Ramirez’s victim, whose anger seems so unyielding.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Also left behind: the Beaver State’s colder weather and stiff personal income tax.
    William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • That caused the committee to reconsider and support the stiffer penalty of expulsion, Goldsmith alleged.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Who would tap a director unproven on a feature level to direct a taut action thriller movie with a $150 million budget?
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 May 2025
  • Almost 60 years later, with these two worlds living side by side, Creede is a taut microcosm of current national divisions.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • This man isn’t defined by grand gestures or rigid gender scripts.
    Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • Having the drawstring attached to something rigid makes this job much easier to manage.
    Maryal Miller Carter, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Autonomous vehicle technology has been hard to commercialize, with tight regulations and heavy investments forcing many companies to give up.
    Akash Sriram, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • But there are also plenty of tight binary systems, where the stars orbit each other at a radius that would place them both comfortably inside our Solar System.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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