tighten
verb (used with or without object)
had tightened
-
past perfectof tighten.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
By then, World Athletics had tightened its rules after the 2016 Rio Olympics, when all three medallists in the women's 800 metre final were DSD athletes, introducing mandatory sex testing in 2025.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026
Prices were already set to rise before the Iran conflict started, as a large recent order from India for urea fertilizer had tightened supplies.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
Wells has said in past quarters that it had tightened credit underwriting in auto lending and that its loan book has become more concentrated with higher-credit-score borrowers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
Investors weren’t buying into Zuckerberg’s vision for virtual reality, and advertisers had tightened their budgets.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2023
Lord Fredrick pulled at his shirt collar as if it had tightened like a noose.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
