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Recent Examples of tightened
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But the defense tightened, holding K-State to 2-for-10 (20%) 3-point shooting after halftime.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
While some snowshoes incorporate Boa fit systems into their design, few are quite as simple as the Instinct’s, which can be tightened with just a single dial using interlinked cables that run around the binding.
—Benjamin Tepler, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Cassellius is also looking for areas of spending that can be tightened already this school year to keep the district within its budget.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
On Friday, as the impasse continued security was tightened around Villa d’Accueil — the former prime minister’s office that now houses the council’s offices.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Dangerous cold has tightened its grip on Minnesota on Friday.
—CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Regina tightened the belt of her robe, as if to emphasize her sudden resolve.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Zhou says that, since the hack, Bybit has tightened its security measures, including using hardware security modules (HSMs), tamper-resistant physical devices that securely generate, stores, and manages cryptographic keys.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Two wins for Nuno (aided by his new assistant coach Paco Jemez) and a big victory for Nottingham Forest at Brentford have tightened things up at the bottom end too, with Leeds, Spurs and the free-falling Crystal Palace all in the mix now.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But the defense tightened, holding K-State to 2-for-10 (20%) 3-point shooting after halftime.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
While some snowshoes incorporate Boa fit systems into their design, few are quite as simple as the Instinct’s, which can be tightened with just a single dial using interlinked cables that run around the binding.
—Benjamin Tepler, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Cassellius is also looking for areas of spending that can be tightened already this school year to keep the district within its budget.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
On Friday, as the impasse continued security was tightened around Villa d’Accueil — the former prime minister’s office that now houses the council’s offices.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Dangerous cold has tightened its grip on Minnesota on Friday.
—CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Regina tightened the belt of her robe, as if to emphasize her sudden resolve.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Zhou says that, since the hack, Bybit has tightened its security measures, including using hardware security modules (HSMs), tamper-resistant physical devices that securely generate, stores, and manages cryptographic keys.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened
Adjective
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Critics said the language was too vague, potentially exacerbating budget problems by making certain revenues too inflexible.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Studios in collaboration with Banijay’s DLO Producciones, tracks the rise of the founding leader of Los Miami, a gang which controlled Madrid’s insatiable ‘90s drug business, tensed by sudden explosive violence, and the drug-lord’s multiple near-death experiences.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
18 Dec. 2025
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The officer took her to the ground and then tried cuffing Tejeras, who tensed up so much, the officer’s body camera was knocked to the ground, according to the report.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
While the February deadline may not be a firm one, the government will need a deal in hand well before expiration day so the Arizona Legislature and possibly Congress have time to ratify the details.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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But there are several factors in play, with nothing firm to report until Panarin says so.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Behind Hassan, a bald, muscular man yelled something in Hebrew, and his two arms stretched forward, pointing at Hassan.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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The books' massive success made a film adaptation inevitable, eventually resulting in five blockbuster movies released between 2008 and 2012 (Breaking Dawn was stretched into two films because one epic finale just wasn't enough).—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On other occasions, a parting can be soured by big, unyielding personalities.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Fritzie survived — a story of brutality, of profound bravery, of desperate kindness and of the unyielding resilience that carried her into a life devoted to remembrance and education.—
Bernard Cherkasov,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Aura advises avoiding stiff denim, heavy wool that doesn’t breathe, and synthetic fabrics that trap heat or create static.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Those demands have met stiff resistance from Republicans.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What ensues is a brilliantly taut ensemble piece.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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The taut scenes provide the actors with a playing field to shine individually in heated arguments, sobering moments of empathy and painfully honest talks about what comes after a life-altering event.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The team stripped the lignin — the rigid glue in plant cells — from wood, leaving a porous cellulose skeleton.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
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There’s no need to fret about sticking to a rigid routine (which is probably more practical with older kids), and your kids aren’t afraid to come up with new plans and ideas at the last minute.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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