1
a
: a line (as of rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so as to restrict its range of movement
b
: a line to which someone or something is attached (as for security)
A crewman can clip the tether of his harness to the [safety line] and leave it clipped as he makes his way forward and aft.—
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith2
: the limit of one's strength or resources
I'm at the end of my tether.
tethered; tethering
ˈte-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
: to fasten or restrain by or as if by a tether
felt tethered to her desk until the work was done
Examples of tether in a Sentence
Verb
They tethered the horses in the shade.
The dog was tethered to the fence.
Recent Examples on the Web
PC Magazine, 31 May 2025
Upon arrival, the drone hovers down to about 23 feet and lowers the package gently to the ground using a tether.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2025
Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025
The slim, lightweight gadget is easy to maneuver around the house since it isn’t tethered to a wire.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
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Noun
Four telescoping contact pins allow the front panel’s portion to separate easily from the rest of that latter cable without an awkward tether.
—PC Magazine, 31 May 2025
Upon arrival, the drone hovers down to about 23 feet and lowers the package gently to the ground using a tether.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2025
Verb
Still, a proper voice chat tool (not tethered to your phone like the original Switch) goes a long way toward making Switch 2 feel like a modern system.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025
The slim, lightweight gadget is easy to maneuver around the house since it isn’t tethered to a wire.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tether
1 of 2 noun
teth·er
ˈtet͟h-ər
: a line by which something (as an animal or a balloon) is fastened so as to limit its range
tether
2 of 2 verb
tethered; tethering
ˈtet͟h-(ə-)riŋ
: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether
felt tethered to my desk
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