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
Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Video captured from a rescue chopper hovering above Jamaica Bay showed the NYPD’s frogmen in action, with multiple divers crawling across the ice and plunging into the frigid waters to attach the victims to tethers, before the helicopters airlifted them to safety.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tether
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Noun
If released on bond, Curtis must wear a GPS tether and cannot have contact with the complaining witness, the children or his ex-wife's residence.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Video captured from a rescue chopper hovering above Jamaica Bay showed the NYPD’s frogmen in action, with multiple divers crawling across the ice and plunging into the frigid waters to attach the victims to tethers, before the helicopters airlifted them to safety.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
By the time rescuers arrived, juvenile puppies were roaming freely on the property, while adult dogs were tethered to trees.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 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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