tauten

American  

[tawt-n] / ˈtɔt n /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become taut.

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tauten British  

/ ˈtɔːtən /

verb

1. to make or become taut or tense

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Etymology

Origin of tauten

First recorded in 1805–15; taut + -en ¹

Example Sentences

But this season moves with an icier malevolence than seasons past, and its focus has narrowed and tautened.

From Salon

“The Guilty” is smartly constructed and tautened with regular twists, but, if it were merely clever, it wouldn’t test your nerves as it does.

From The New Yorker

Every nerve in his body seemed to tauten: He pulled out his wand, moved into the shadows beside the decapitated elf heads, and waited.

From Literature

At 9pm the sun went down behind the rig, quite spectacularly, and after that the tow-lines between Winner and her tugs visibly tautened.

From The Guardian

For the big picture, Morlot tautened the massive climax at the beginning of the recapitulation.

From Seattle Times