tighten
verb (used with or without object)
were tightening
-
past progressiveof tighten.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The Information previously reported that regulators were tightening approval for humanoid startups seeking to go public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Last month, Eurovision organisers announced they were tightening the competition's voting rules to limit the influence of governments on the results.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
The opposite pattern would appear if aging and reduced immigration were tightening the labor market more than weaker demand.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 25, 2025
Things were tightening up in Wisconsin, as they inevitably do, and everybody shows up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2024
Already the companies were preparing to start: men were tightening girths, looking to saddles, caressing their horses; some gazed uneasily at the lowering sky.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
