TIGHTENED Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

tightened 1 of 2

adjective

as in inflexible

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tightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tighten

as in tensed

to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tightened

Verb

When evidence is incomplete or when confidence decreases and risk increases, autonomy should be reduced and the human boundary tightened. — Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Since early September, FiftyPlusOne's polling average has tightened modestly, from about a 3-point advantage for Democrat Troy Jackson in early September to roughly 2 points now. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 China has since greatly tightened its environmental regulations and restrictions on mining and minerals processing. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026 Budgets have tightened and commissioners have retreated to the familiar — backing low-cost dramas and safe-bet crime formats. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 China has tightened export controls on drones and related components several times since 2023. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 In other words, the moment a market tightened, YieldStar kicked into overdrive. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Chinese authorities have tightened their grip on the media, the legal profession, and civil society, limiting the space for Chinese citizens to discuss mounting social woes and extinguishing emerging calls for deeper political reform. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026 Although the race had tightened considerably in the weeks leading up to the election, the vast majority of the polls showed incumbent President Inacio Lula da Silva with a single-digit lead. — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened

Adjective

We are presented with a few potentially hissable villains, including an attorney for the state (Christian Rubeck) who mocks the Gheorghius’ faith and a frostily inflexible social worker, Gunda (Ellen Dorrit Petersen).

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Their characters contended with sexism, inflexible schedules, unequal pay and the near impossibility of balancing work with responsibilities at home.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of inflexible

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

Definition of tensed

Verb

In a few small depressions farthest from the river, auburn-brown vegetation and peat have stretched into thick floating mats across open water, forming what’s known as a quaking bog.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
The confrontation led to a standoff that stretched into Friday morning.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretched

Adjective

In some obscure way, Shawn felt responsible for protecting the stranger against the slights of his unyielding countrymen.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
His unyielding tongue-in-cheek career narrative touches on craftsmanship, luxury and nihilism.

— Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of unyielding

Adjective

Carl lowers his head like a hitter hit by a pitch, then rouses himself and breaks into a stiff, elderly trot, shooting a salute over at whoever’s inside the tilted little guard hut.

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
That’s especially in a time of dwindling enrollment, soaring tuition and stiff competition between schools.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stiff

Adjective

The back of the Torcal hints at last year’s EXP 15 Concept, while the Torcal’s prodigious output is alluded to through the taut and muscular haunches.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
Ocean Rainforest said no whales got tangled in taut lines during a two-year demo project.

— Amy Taxin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of taut

Adjective

Detours and shortcuts in the brain The cells and synapses of the brain aren’t arranged in rigid, linear paths for each task and experience.

— Sean Mccabe, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
That potentially allows rigid structural elements and softer, flexible sections to be incorporated into the same object, provided the materials are compatible.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of rigid

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tighten

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“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tightened

adjective

verb

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