1
a
: a line (as of rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so as to restrict its range of movement
b
: a line to which someone or something is attached (as for security)
A crewman can clip the tether of his harness to the [safety line] and leave it clipped as he makes his way forward and aft.—
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith2
: the limit of one's strength or resources
I'm at the end of my tether.
tethered; tethering
ˈte-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
: to fasten or restrain by or as if by a tether
felt tethered to her desk until the work was done
Examples of tether in a Sentence
Verb
They tethered the horses in the shade.
The dog was tethered to the fence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
One of the strongest cultural tethers here is food.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
Asus Portable Monitor Deal The Asus ZenScreen is perfect for professionals who refuse to be tethered to a single desk.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
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Noun
Worse yet, all four actors were on the same tether, so when they were simultaneously released, the stuntwoman was dropped 20 feet onto the concrete below.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
One of the strongest cultural tethers here is food.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Instead of planning a regular viaduct-style bridge, with columns buried in the seabed, civil engineering pioneer Thomas Telford planned a structure that floated above the strait, tethered to the land on each side.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
Asus Portable Monitor Deal The Asus ZenScreen is perfect for professionals who refuse to be tethered to a single desk.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tether
1 of 2 noun
teth·er
ˈtet͟h-ər
: a line by which something (as an animal or a balloon) is fastened so as to limit its range
tether
2 of 2 verb
tethered; tethering
ˈtet͟h-(ə-)riŋ
: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether
felt tethered to my desk
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