straiten

Verb

Verb Forms: straitened, straitening, straitens

• To make narrow or restricted; to put into difficulties.
• bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship
• squeeze together
• To make strait; to narrow or confine to a smaller space.
• To restrict or diminish, especially financially.
• Misspelling of straighten.

Examples

• Running out of vowels can truly straiten your options in Scrabble.
• The channel straitened the river through the town, made it flow faster, and caused more flooding upstream.

Synonyms

distress, check, contract, narrow, restrain, straiten

Antonyms

widen