Adjacent Words

Tighten definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TIGHTEN, v.t. ti'tn. To draw tighter; to straiten; to make close in any manner.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make tight or tighter; "Tighten the wire" [syn: tighten, fasten]
2: become tight or tighter; "The rope tightened"
3: restrict; "Tighten the rules"; "stiffen the regulations" [syn: stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrain]
4: narrow or limit; "reduce the influx of foreigners" [syn: reduce, tighten]

Merriam Webster's

verb (tightened; tightening) Date: circa 1727 transitive verb to make tight or tighter intransitive verb to become tight or tighter • tightener noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. & intr. make or become tight or tighter. Phrases and idioms: tighten one's belt see BELT.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tighten Tight"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tightened; p. pr. & vb. n. Tightening.] To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. Just where I please, with tightened rein I'll urge thee round the dusty plain. --Fawkes. Tightening pulley (Mach.), a pulley which rests, or is forced, against a driving belt to tighten it.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(tightens, tightening, tightened) 1. If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens, you hold the thing more firmly or securely. Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder... Her arms tightened about his neck in gratitude... Stefano's grip tightened and his tone became colder. ? loosen VERB: V n, V prep, V 2. If you tighten a rope or chain, or if it tightens, it is stretched or pulled hard until it is straight. The anchorman flung his whole weight back, tightening the rope... The cables tightened and he was lifted gradually from the deck. ? slacken VERB: V n, V 3. If a government or organization tightens its grip on a group of people or an activity, or if its grip tightens, it begins to have more control over it. He knows he has considerable support for his plans to tighten his grip on the machinery of central government... As the regime's grip on the mainland tightened over the next few years, hundreds of thousands more people fled south. VERB: V n, V 4. When you tighten a screw, nut, or other device, you turn it or move it so that it is more firmly in place or holds something more firmly. I used my thumbnail to tighten the screw on my lamp... VERB: V n • Tighten up means the same as tighten. It's important to tighten up the wheels properly, otherwise they vibrate loose and fall off. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P 5. If a part of your body tightens, the muscles in it become tense and stiff, for example because you are angry or afraid. Sofia's throat had tightened and she couldn't speak... ? relax VERB: V • tightening ...a headache caused by tension which results in tightening of the muscles in the neck. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 6. If someone in authority tightens a rule, a policy, or a system, they make it stricter or more efficient. The United States plans to tighten the economic sanctions currently in place... Take-off and landing procedures have been tightened after two jets narrowly escaped disaster. ? relax VERB: V n, V n • Tighten up means the same as tighten. Until this week, every attempt to tighten up the law had failed... He accused ministers of breaking election pledges to tighten up on immigration. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P on n, also V n P • tightening ...the tightening of state control over press and broadcasting. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 7. to tighten your belt: see belt to tighten the screw: see screw

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Make tight, straiten.

Moby Thesaurus

affix, anchor, annex, attach, back, belay, box, box in, box up, brace, cement, cinch, circumscribe, clamp, clinch, close, compress, confine, continue, cramp, crank, crank in, crush, drag out, draw, draw in, draw out, draw taut, elongate, engraft, ensphere, extend, fasten, fix, graft, grapple, hem, hem in, keep from spreading, keep within bounds, knit, lengthen, lengthen out, let out, limit, localize, make fast, moor, narrow, nip, pinch, press, produce, prolong, prolongate, protract, pull, pull in, put to, qualify, reel, reel in, reinforce, restrict, rigidify, screw up, secure, set, set to, shore up, spin out, squeeze, stiffen, stint, strain, strengthen, stretch, stretch out, string out, tackle, tauten, tense, trice up, trim, tweak, wad up, winch, wind in, windlass