JISUPOSTEnglish
ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Tighten

/ˈtaɪ.tən/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To make tighter..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (transitive) To make tighter.
  2. (intransitive) To become tighter.
  3. (economics) To make money harder to borrow or obtain.
  4. (economics) To raise short-term interest rates.

Example Sentences

Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.
Just where I please, with tighten;d rein / I'll urge thee round the dusty plain.
That joint is tightening as the wood dries.
If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.
The Fed is expected to tighten by a quarter-point.

Synonyms for tighten

bindbracecinchclenchconstrictsqueezetightentaughtentautentensereduceconstraintighten upfastenstiffen

Antonyms for tighten

loosendivideliberate

Related Words

tighten upconstrainreducestiffenfastentightnesstightintensifyrestricthardentoughenstrengtheningstrengthennarrowholdincreasesetlimitcloserstrictness

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does tighten mean?

Tighten means (transitive) To make tighter..

What is a synonym for tighten?

Common synonyms include bind, brace, cinch, clench.

What is the opposite of tighten?

Possible antonyms include loosen, divide, liberate.

How do you use tighten in a sentence?

Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.