tighten
verb (used with or without object)
had been tightening
-
past perfect progressiveof tighten.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
His grip on the country had been tightening for years.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The regulatory net had been tightening around capturing orcas in the wild, and going out and capturing more orcas wasn’t in the cards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2023
Jim Paulsen, chief market strategist at the Leuthold Group, said that financial conditions had been tightening for a while and that inflation was likely to moderate soon.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2022
That’s something of a u-turn, as policymakers had been tightening policy as its economy recovered.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 8, 2021
The band that had been tightening around Nance's heart seemed suddenly to burst.
From Calvary Alley by Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice
