Definition of tautennext
as in to tighten
to draw tight he tautened the rope and then tied it off

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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 tauten From that queasiness comes bristly tension, tautening and deepening what otherwise seems a low-key, low-stakes character study, and eventually a sweet, conciliatory sliver of hope too. Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023 Pimples pop, pupils dilate, tendons tauten, and breathing gets so shallow that people fall into respiratory acidosis. John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 20 Apr. 2022 Those systems use hydraulics or electromagnetic fluids to soften or tauten the ride. Jack Stewart, WIRED, 9 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tauten
Verb
  • In 2006, Joseph pursued ballot measures that would have amended Proposition 103 amid an effort by John Garamendi, the insurance commissioner at the time, to tighten the ZIP code regulations established by his predecessor.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Both markets have tightened rules that had allowed low-value imports to enter duty-free.
    Jenny Lee, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The women tensed when the deputy warden of the Rostov jail, a curt, imperious man with a heavy-footed gait, walked in.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As that handover proceeds, the excitatory signal that keeps your muscles faintly tensed all day begins to withdraw, and muscle tone drops toward the near-paralysis of deep sleep.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tauten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tauten. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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