TAUTENING Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tautening

verb

present participle of tauten

as in tightening

to draw tight he tautened the rope and then tied it off

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tautening

Verb

WeTransfer built its name on sending big files, then spent the last year tightening its free plan and cutting features creative teams relied on.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 5 July 2026
Trump, meanwhile, has continued tightening his grip on the Republican Party, backing primary challengers against lawmakers who have broken with him.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026

Definition of tightening

Verb

Ewing has recognized his shoulders tensing and his upper body going stiff.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026

Definition of tensing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

tautened

tautening

tautens

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tautening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautening. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tautening

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes