tauten
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become taut.
tautening
-
present participleof tauten.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
You feel a certain tautening of wit, plus a keen and very Coen-like awareness that clichés, which abound in the genre of the spy drama, are there to be flirted with.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 26, 2015
Holbein has simply painted a dead body, showing its greenish skin and tautening sinews as decay sets in.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 19, 2014
To the Arabs, it brought a tautening of determination and a more sober assessing of their chances for victory.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was about then that sophisticated New Yorkers knew that the Mad Bomber was not just whistling through his teeth; the sensation-loving papers cheerfully nursed the tautening nerves.
From Time Magazine Archive
“What the devil now?” thought Stern, tautening event muscle for the expected attack.
From Darkness and Dawn by George Allan England
