as in tied
to attach (someone or something) to something else by or as if by means of a line or cord
I tethered the boat to the dock before coming ashore.
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Recent Examples of tethered
The team tethered the crustaceans to posts at varying times of the year and at varying depths of Maryland’s Rhode River, a tidal estuary in Chesapeake Bay.
—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
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
Champagne wears a glinting gold fanny pack (bags, after all, can be confiscated), and both have their phones tethered to wrist straps, so hands remain free to rummage.
—Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The Paramount+ series, which follows a group of ghosts stuck in purgatory inside their high school, uses its premise — characters tethered to different decades — as both a narrative engine and a musical one.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
When Kevin goes missing, the family members must confront their fragile bonds and the cultural expectations that have long tethered them.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
My identity and personhood could also be tethered to a body and a number, one that would fluctuate but somehow remain an enemy throughout my life.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
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
Champagne wears a glinting gold fanny pack (bags, after all, can be confiscated), and both have their phones tethered to wrist straps, so hands remain free to rummage.
—Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The Paramount+ series, which follows a group of ghosts stuck in purgatory inside their high school, uses its premise — characters tethered to different decades — as both a narrative engine and a musical one.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
When Kevin goes missing, the family members must confront their fragile bonds and the cultural expectations that have long tethered them.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
My identity and personhood could also be tethered to a body and a number, one that would fluctuate but somehow remain an enemy throughout my life.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tethered
Verb
-
Much of the government’s secrecy around UFOs and UAP is tied to national security concerns, according to Diamond.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Kings had the worst record in the NBA as recently as March 9, but after winning seven of their last 14 games they are now tied with the Utah Jazz for the fifth-worst record in the league.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In some species the nipples are fully exposed or are bounded by mere remnants of a pouch.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The territory is roughly bounded by Interstate 10 on the south and west and Loop 410 to the north and east.—
Brandon Lingle,
San Antonio Express-News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tethered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tethered. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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