tighten up

verb

tightened up; tightening up; tightens up
: to become more strict or effective or to make (something) more strict or effective
Security around the building has tightened up recently.
They tightened up security around the building.

Examples of tighten up in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hopefully the show’s creators and writers will spend at least a little more time in the gap to tighten up the scripts. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Ecuador's defense has tightened up significantly over the course of this first half. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Funnily enough, the rules have tightened up in recent decades compared to the tournament’s first 100 years. — Afia Asamoah, InStyle, 30 June 2026 Uber is tightening up background checks on its drivers amid pressure from lawmakers in several states and a number of high-profile lawsuits. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tighten up

Rhymes for tighten up

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Browse Nearby Words

tighten the screws
tighten up
tightfisted
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Cite this Entry

“Tighten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20up. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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