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Recent Examples of tightens
Transits through the waterway have reduced to a trickle over seven weeks of war in the Persian Gulf, as Iran tightens control in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.
—
Weilun Soon, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment dramatically lifts, firms, and tightens sagging, crepey skin and smooths the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
In general, Krimmel explained, a housing market tightens, reaches peak seller conditions, cools back toward balance, becomes more buyer-friendly, and eventually recovers again as conditions improve.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
This $25 anti-aging formula plumps, firms, and tightens dull, crepey skin.
—Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
The move further tightens the Nitaqat system, which has imposed quotas for Saudi hires since 2011.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
As climate change tightens its grip over the Arctic, deeper layers of permafrost are activating in this way.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The Iran war hasn’t yet taken on the coloration of an economic threat, although that bulks large on the horizon if the disruption of oil supplies created by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz continues or tightens or the Middle East energy infrastructure sustains more damage.
—Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Hunching over your phone or a computer screen tightens your chest and the middle of your back.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Weilun Soon, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment dramatically lifts, firms, and tightens sagging, crepey skin and smooths the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
In general, Krimmel explained, a housing market tightens, reaches peak seller conditions, cools back toward balance, becomes more buyer-friendly, and eventually recovers again as conditions improve.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
This $25 anti-aging formula plumps, firms, and tightens dull, crepey skin.
—Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
The move further tightens the Nitaqat system, which has imposed quotas for Saudi hires since 2011.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
As climate change tightens its grip over the Arctic, deeper layers of permafrost are activating in this way.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The Iran war hasn’t yet taken on the coloration of an economic threat, although that bulks large on the horizon if the disruption of oil supplies created by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz continues or tightens or the Middle East energy infrastructure sustains more damage.
—Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Hunching over your phone or a computer screen tightens your chest and the middle of your back.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightens
Verb
-
Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After dinner, rum-centric cocktails are served up nightly with vibey tunes and a view of the Grove that stretches all the way to the Bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Five are anchored in Democratic-heavy northern Virginia, including one shaped like a lobster that stretches into Republican-leaning rural areas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightens. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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