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
Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2024
No Argentine accord is complete without yerba buena tea—maté is their love language, after all—and a smoky, creamy finish tethers gaucho-like leather to dulce de leche.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2024
The raft was tethered by a rope to the claw of a bulldozer.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether 
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Noun
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office tracked the male by his tether to a heavily wooded portion of Belle Isle, where a confrontation ensued, police said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2024
No Argentine accord is complete without yerba buena tea—maté is their love language, after all—and a smoky, creamy finish tethers gaucho-like leather to dulce de leche.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Being constantly tethered to others through our phones and social media is unnatural.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2024
The raft was tethered by a rope to the claw of a bulldozer.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether
Dictionary Entries Near tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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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