How to Use tighten in a Sentence

tighten

verb
Definition of tightennext
Synonyms for tightennext
  • She tightened her hold on the handle.
  • So far, the gap’s tightened but the Lakers are still in ninth.
    — Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
  • Pour half of the boiling water all over the top of the duck to tighten the skin.
    — Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2022
  • Then, tighten the plug back and turn off all the outside faucets.
    — oregonlive, 22 Feb. 2023
  • The trends have led to budget tightening across the genre.
    — Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024
  • The lead briefly widened to 13 in the third quarter but tightened over the final eight minutes.
    — Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2024
  • At the same time, Mr. Trong tightened the state’s grip on other freedoms.
    — Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
  • Once it’s mostly balled up, give it a twist, wrap the top of the liner around the bulk, and tighten the top drawstring.
    — Suzie Dundas, Outside Online, 19 July 2024
  • The braces had pins that were drilled into her leg bones and had to be tightened daily.
    — Eileen Finan, Peoplemag, 10 Dec. 2023
  • But, of course, the race tightened in the final days and Clinton went on to lose that election.
    — Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2024
  • His face is now crimson; a vein in his neck tightens like a rope pulled taut.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Lita tightens her robe and heads downstairs to answer the door.
    — Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2024
  • Deputies also use drug-sniffing dogs at the jails, and the mail systems have been tightened.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2023
  • These higher rates come in the midst of a statewide push to tighten gun laws that are already among the most stringent in the country.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
  • Our project will drive down the price of gas in that corner of Anaheim Hills and tighten their margins.
    — Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 10 May 2024
  • Plenty of pockets give the bib pants flair and function and the easy-to-adjust shoulder straps can be tightened on the fly.
    — Douglas Schnitzspahn, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2024
  • Lace ups also have the advantage of being able to be tightened for a snug fit.
    — Samson McDougall, Health, 4 Aug. 2023
  • His giant paws tighten around my waist, as if to contain me and my panic.
    — Jessica Leon, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2023
  • Abbott, who has waved off calls to tighten Texas gun laws since the shooting, has never trailed in polls.
    — Acacia Coronado, Chron, 29 Oct. 2022
  • Tighten this knee down the glute, on this side, tighten that glute, and then slightly lean forward feeling the stretch through the hips and the hip flexor.
    — Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 1 Nov. 2022
  • There's nothing quite like a high-tech beauty device to lift, tighten, sculpt and tone.
    — Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 15 Nov. 2022
  • Golden State tightened up at both ends of the court in the second quarter to take a three-point lead into halftime.
    — C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Thread the 6-inch-long piece of ¼-inch pipe into the elbow, and tighten the connection with pliers.
    — Joe Kohl-Riggs, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
  • To reinstall lug nuts, use a torque wrench; the air wrench can easily over-tighten them.
    — Michael Stillwell, Popular Mechanics, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Then tighten the turnbuckle until the sagging end of the gate lifts and the latch works correctly.
    — Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
  • But after Orlando tied the game, Memphis used a 13-0 run of its own to tighten its grip in the fourth quarter.
    — Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2024
  • But the score tightened when Granada began to crash the boards with aggressiveness.
    — Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024
  • If the sunglasses start to feel loose, just use the small screwdriver (included) to tighten the pieces.
    — Staff Author, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
  • Contour your cheeks, lift your eyebrows, and tighten areas around your neck.
    — Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
  • In Pennsylvania, polls have tightened in Trump's favor.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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