TIGHTENS Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tightens

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Bubbles pop when liquidity tightens, meaning higher rates or stiffer regulation make money harder to borrow, and private creditors grow less willing to lend at any rate. — Ruchir Sharma, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 Promotional pricing is likely as competition tightens, and new formats will deliver better per-serving value than the single-roll SKUs that defined the first wave. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026 The spacing between officers tightens when arrests take place. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Global funding support The move also tightens trade ties between Tokyo and Washington in advanced manufacturing. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026 The squeeze tightens Some oil has been able to make it out of the Persian Gulf despite the closure of Hormuz. — Greg Pollock, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 The ordinance, which passed in a 4-3 vote, tightens rules for how personal electric vehicles can be operated, including where they can be ridden, speed restrictions, equipment requirements and penalties for violations. — Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026 The rise in yields tightens financial conditions and makes the cost of borrowing more expensive. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 If the provider changes a default, tightens a limit or suspends the service, the bank’s payments do not slow down. — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 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

Definition of tenses

Verb

Not far from my home on the western shore of Lake Champlain lies the ore bed that in 1875 produced 10 percent of America’s iron ore; the #21 pit, once storied, stretches two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet deep.

— Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Its border with Yemen stretches more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) through rugged desert areas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretches

Browse Nearby Words

tightening

tightens

tightfisted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tightens

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes