tighten
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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tightens,
present (3rd person singular)
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tightened,
past participle, past
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tightening
present participle
verb
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to make or become tight or tighter
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to economize
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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tightenernoun
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overtightenverb
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retightenverb
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untightenverb (used with object)
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self-tighteningadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tightensimple
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tightenssimple
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have tightenedperfect
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has tightenedperfect
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am tighteningprogressive
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are tighteningprogressive
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is tighteningprogressive
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have been tighteningperfect progressive
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has been tighteningperfect progressive
Past
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tightenedsimple
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had tightenedperfect
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was tighteningprogressive
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were tighteningprogressive
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had been tighteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tighten
Explanation
To tighten something is to draw it snug or squeeze it. Your cousin's crazy driving may cause you to tighten your seatbelt and close your eyes. You can tighten things literally, the way you tighten the lid of a jar or tighten your hold on your best friend's hand as you enter a haunted house together. There's also a figurative way to tighten, like when a library tightens its rules about talking or a restrictive government tightens control over what newspapers are allowed to print. Before tighten appeared in the 18th century, the verb was tight.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
China has worked methodically to tighten its grip in the strategic seas around the first island chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
At the time, VMO2 called the BT takeover a "stitch-up", which allowed its rival "tighten its grip" over the market.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
In August, the government started a campaign to tighten oversight of car safety, expressing concern that “irrational competition” could lead carmakers to cut corners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Still, she thought that most policymakers seemed keen to avoid moving too quickly, and may hold rates at this meeting, waiting to tighten the screws until the following meeting in early December.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Magdalys watched the claw tighten as the dino’s eyes went wide.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
Ugandans returning from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo will be quarantined for 21 days, the health ministry has said, as the country tightens restrictions to contain the spread of Ebola virus.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Hopefully when his right arm tightens up, he’ll step out of the box.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
First, Smith melts fat and tightens deeper tissue using Vaser, an ultrasonic wand inserted into the arm via a small incision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Once contraction begins, this network tightens inward and then returns to its original configuration.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Tony holds a small flashlight while his dad tightens something deep inside with a wrench.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
When flash supplies tightened around 2017, Western Digital, Sandisk’s new owner, required Apple to pay a fee to reserve flash chips without committing to sell it any, said people familiar with the strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
When Apple tightened its privacy rules in 2021, it made it harder for Facebook to track users across apps, something Meta estimated cost it $10 billion in lost revenue in 2022.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
There have been many periods when the Fed has tightened only a few times, she said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
Raised eyebrows and brief eye closure increased perceptions of confidence, while lowered brows and tightened eyes suggested uncertainty or doubt.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“How did you—” I started, but my words were choked, and I bent over, hacking hard as the smoke tightened in my lungs.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Barkin also supported moving slowing on tightening policy.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Many locations rolled out subsidies to attract data centers before the backlash and are now walking back some of those incentives and tightening their permitting process, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
The euro fell to a 17-month low against the dollar after the European Central Bank held interest rates, as expected, and refrained from sending signals about the prospect of future tightening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Warsh acknowledged that inflation remained too high, but noted that there were other signs - such as tightening credit conditions - that the economy was moving in the right direction.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
I must have already had the word “no” on my face, because she screwed up hers, arms tightening across her chest.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
