as in tensing
to draw tight
tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking
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Recent Examples of tightening
The trigger was Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus in 2025—a deal that reportedly spooked Beijing into tightening control over companies deemed strategically important.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 May 2026
There is, of course, the ever-tightening constraints of the international publishing market that limit the reach of any book not either a) originally published in English or b) published in a country with the money to ensure its translation and distribution into English.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Rising fuel prices, tightening credit conditions, and supply chain volatility are rapidly reshaping how companies manage cash flow, pricing, logistics, and customer retention.
—Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Hospitals that haven’t been looted, burned or shuttered are dealing with limited budgets and the tightening grip of armed gangs.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Israeli officials warn that Hamas is actively rebuilding its military and civilian capabilities and tightening its control over Gaza.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
But while consumers are showing signs of tightening their purse strings , that doesn’t mean the company’s bottom line is likely to come under considerable pressure, according to Citi’s Zaccone.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 12 May 2026
The rolling wheels-of-a-dream metaphor no longer propels the show in this simpler revival from Lear deBessonet; the director makes a conscious effort to eschew the bold statements about America in favor of tightening the focus on the little clutch of individuals whom Doctorow so vividly imagined.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The report shows automation tightening its grip on the internet, with bots continuing to outpace human activity.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 May 2026
There is, of course, the ever-tightening constraints of the international publishing market that limit the reach of any book not either a) originally published in English or b) published in a country with the money to ensure its translation and distribution into English.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Rising fuel prices, tightening credit conditions, and supply chain volatility are rapidly reshaping how companies manage cash flow, pricing, logistics, and customer retention.
—Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Hospitals that haven’t been looted, burned or shuttered are dealing with limited budgets and the tightening grip of armed gangs.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Israeli officials warn that Hamas is actively rebuilding its military and civilian capabilities and tightening its control over Gaza.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
But while consumers are showing signs of tightening their purse strings , that doesn’t mean the company’s bottom line is likely to come under considerable pressure, according to Citi’s Zaccone.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 12 May 2026
The rolling wheels-of-a-dream metaphor no longer propels the show in this simpler revival from Lear deBessonet; the director makes a conscious effort to eschew the bold statements about America in favor of tightening the focus on the little clutch of individuals whom Doctorow so vividly imagined.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The report shows automation tightening its grip on the internet, with bots continuing to outpace human activity.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightening
Verb
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Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a 700-mile fault stretching from Northern California to British Columbia and separates the Juan de Fuca and North America tectonic plates, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Rai said the additional five years, stretching the patent from 2026 to 2031, likely stem from the Hatch-Waxman Act, a 1984 law that allows drugmakers to extend patents by up to five years to make up for time lost moving their drug through clinical trials and the FDA approval process.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightening. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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