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
Many expected to see significant belt tightening, my colleague Melody Gutierrez wrote, after the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office warned that California faces a nearly $18-billion budget shortfall.
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Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, several states spanning the political spectrum, including Arizona, Arkansas, and Vermont are tightening laws or considering additional restrictions on the ATMs.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Regulation reality Despite companies’ efforts to remain committed to reducing their environmental impact, sustainability initiatives are increasingly bearing the brunt of rising costs and tightening budgets.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
When the ban was upheld, Machado named historian Corina Yoris as her stand-in candidate—a move widely seen as a protest against Maduro’s tightening control over Venezuela’s electoral system.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.
—Robert Muggah, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Media and entertainment companies around the world have been tightening belts over the past couple of years.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
The system not only identified the optimal torque range for tightening bolts, but also recommended which additional tests engineers should prioritize.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Human as the Premium Automation moves fastest through tasks designed to be predictable, which is why standardized roles are tightening.
—Neel Somani, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightening
Verb
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Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.—
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Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing.—
Verb
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He was first elected to the House in 1992, and now represents an inland district stretching from the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs.—
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Without stretching their budget, travelers can enjoy 22 miles of pristine coastline or cross the bridge to hop on a shuttle with Explore Jax Core Tours, where the city’s history, culture, and future unfold through vivid storytelling and physical representation.—
Cite this Entry
“Tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightening. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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