tightens

present tense third-person singular of tighten
as in tenses
to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

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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 tightens Pell Grant rules are changing The new tax law also tightens eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant program, the largest federal aid program for low-income students. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Meta tightens internal limits on Claude and Codex over distillation fears. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 30 June 2026 But even Apple has limits when an entire market tightens. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 If the Nets chase another wing, such as Denver’s Peyton Watson, the upside rises but the minute squeeze tightens again. C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026 When customer behavior shifts, competitors change course, capital tightens or geopolitical pressure rises, stale assumptions get expensive fast. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 When drought tightens the channel, water managers, dredge crews, and lock operators must communicate with towboat companies and shippers nearly every moment. Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026 This formula tightens skin and is easy to wear without slipping or coming off. Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 22 June 2026 One night, passengers are having a ball on the dance floor when a mysterious passenger tightens a nearby metal cable. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 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
  • Los Angeles stretches its NL West lead to 11 games and maintains MLB’s best record as Ohtani’s star power turns Sacramento’s nominal home crowd into a roaring Dodgers road show.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • The entire design grew around the Ficus Nitida, which stretches from the main deck through an oval void of approximately 172 square feet to the upper deck.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 June 2026

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“Tightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightens. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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