TIGHTENING Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tightening

verb

present participle of tighten

as in tensing

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

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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 tightening That’s more than double the rate in 2021, just before the Federal Reserve embarked on an aggressive tightening cycle to rein in inflation. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 Higher debt-servicing costs can reduce a project’s feasibility by tightening project margins. — Jill Jones, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Rather, the factors driving the current redesign include tightening budgets and difficulties fielding enough workers to do so many in-person interviews — which was affected last year by a federal hiring freeze. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Honda says its design can tackle jobs ranging from threading a needle to tightening screws. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 Iran and its Houthi allies have also hit refineries in the Middle East and disrupted exports through the Strait of Hormuz, tightening fuel supplies. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 In 2019, Kennedy returned to Sacramento to oppose another bill Pan authored, this one tightening the rules for vaccination exemptions. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Governments across Europe of every political stripe are tightening integration rules. — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 With October polls showing a tightening contest in both races, these undecided Black voters could play a pivotal role in determining the election results. — Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightening

Verb

Ewing has recognized his shoulders tensing and his upper body going stiff.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026

Definition of tensing

Verb

Erected on a hillside in 1938, Fallingwater appeared as a matrix of rectangles with low and flat horizontal lines stretching across the planes of the house.

— Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Blue crabs and crawfish are sourced from Louisiana, while shellfish such as oysters, Manila clams and cherrystone clams arrive from waters stretching from the East Coast to Asia.

— Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretching

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tightened

tightening

tightens

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“Tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightening. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tightening

verb

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