tighten

Verb

Verb Forms: tightened, tightening, tightens

To make or become firm, secure, or less loose.
make tight or tighter
- "Tighten the wire"
become tight or tighter
- "The rope tightened"
restrict
- "Tighten the rules"
narrow or limit
To make tighter.
To become tighter.
To make money harder to borrow or obtain.
To raise short-term interest rates.

Examples

He needed to TIGHTEN his defenses, blocking his opponent’s access to bonus squares.
If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.
Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.
That joint is tightening as the wood dries.
The Fed is expected to tighten by a quarter-point.

Origin / Etymology

Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en. From Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).

Synonyms

constrain, fasten, reduce, stiffen, tighten up, bind, brace, cinch, clench, constrict, squeeze, taughten, tauten, tense, tighten

Antonyms

divide, liberate, loosen

Scrabble Score: 11

tighten: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
tighten: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
tighten: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

tighten: valid Words With Friends Word