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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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Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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The current power infrastructure in most countries is limited by an aging and inflexible power grid that cannot accommodate the large nodes of power that new AI data centers demand.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 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
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Despite these fears, Starmer’s Labour government came to power with a pledge to put UK relations with China on a firmer footing.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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The answer from liberal institutions revealed to be complicit in large-scale violence and mendacity should still be a firm no.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The law requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces and to end military action within 60 to 90 days absent authorization — limits that presidents of both parties have routinely stretched.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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State officials say the program is a way to reduce costs, prevent medication lapses, and ease the burden on doctors, particularly in rural areas where clinicians are already stretched thin.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Changing the way nylon assembles in the molecular stage can transform it from a solidly unyielding material like climbing rope into something with more buoyancy — for instance, a sports bra.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Soft polymers stretch easily but generate little force, while stiffer ones produce force yet barely move.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Jan. 2026
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Styles reversed the hold into a Styles Clash attempt, but Nakamura fought out of it only to run into a stiff knee.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 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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Instead of rigid voice commands, AI assistants will understand context, remember preferences, and carry on multi-step dialogues.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Andrew Fearn’s production on Planet X is typically circuitous, rigid loops pumping like factory machinery.—
Pete Tosiello,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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