tighten
/ˈtʌɪt(ə)n
/verb
Make or become tight or tighter: [with object]: he tightened up the clips central government has tightened control over local authority spending [no object]: his arms tightened around her...
- However, even if the country tightens controls in this area, minors can still ask adult friends to buy them.
- In Germany, Italy and Belgium, tests are under way to see if the treatment can be used to tighten the upper arms.
- Nor will the administrators of these establishments be pushing drugs in order to tighten control.
Synonyms
secure, make fast, make more secure, screw up, give an extra turn to
strengthen, make stronger, reinforce, harden, consolidate
tauten, make/draw taut, make/draw tight, stretch, strain, extend, make rigid, rigidify, stiffen, tense
narrow, become narrow/narrower, become tight/tighter, become pinched;
constrict, contract, brace, draw in, compress, screw up, pucker, purse;
North American squinch
rare constringe
increase, make stricter, make more rigorous, make more stringent, make more rigid, stiffen, toughen (up), heighten, escalate, scale up
informal up, crank up, beef (up)
Rhymes
- unrepining
- unreplaceable
- unreplaced
- unreplenished
- unrepliable
- unreplied
- unreplied to
- unreplying
- unreportable
- unreported
- unreported Parliament
- unreposed
- unreposeful
- unreprehended
- unrepresentable
- unrepresentative
- unrepresentativeness
- unrepresented
- unrepressable
- unrepressed
- unrepressible
- unreprievable
- unreprieved
- unreprinted
- unreproachable