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
Charna Flam, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In the delivery process, a P2 Zip will hover around 300 feet above ground level and dispatch a mini-aircraft with a container called the delivery zip, which descends on a long tether and moves into place using fan-like thrusters before setting down and allowing package retrieval.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
In the American West, where the federal government owns more than half the land, much of everyday life is tethered to the federal agencies that manage it.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
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Noun
She was arraigned on Thursday, April 10, and given a $50,000 cash/surety bond with a GPS tether.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In the delivery process, a P2 Zip will hover around 300 feet above ground level and dispatch a mini-aircraft with a container called the delivery zip, which descends on a long tether and moves into place using fan-like thrusters before setting down and allowing package retrieval.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
Still, my earliest memory of a quince is tethered not to critique, but to awe.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
In the American West, where the federal government owns more than half the land, much of everyday life is tethered to the federal agencies that manage it.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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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