tighten

tighten
verb
ADVERB
▪ a little, slightly, etc.
▪ considerably
▪ gradually, slowly
▪ suddenly
▪ instinctively, involuntarily, unconsciously
▪

Her fingers tightened unconsciously with every jolt she received.

▪ painfully
▪ up
▪

Can you tighten up the bolts for me?

VERB + TIGHTEN
▪ seem to
▪ feel sth
▪

He felt his stomach tighten.

▪ make sth
▪

His words made her throat tighten.

PREPOSITION
▪ about (BrE), around, round (esp. BrE)
▪

His hand tightened painfully around her wrist.

▪ on
▪

Her grip seemed to tighten on the door handle.

▪ in
▪

He saw his father's jaw tighten in irritation.

▪ into
▪

His mouth tightened into a thin hard line.

▪ with
▪

Her face tightened with pain.

Tighten is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑arm, ↑chest, ↑face, ↑fist, ↑grip, ↑hand, ↑jaw, ↑lip, ↑mouth, ↑muscle, ↑noose, ↑shoulder, ↑stomach, ↑throat
Tighten is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ban, ↑belt, ↑blockade, ↑bolt, ↑censorship, ↑control, ↑embargo, ↑embrace, ↑fist, ↑grasp, ↑grip, ↑hold, ↑jaw, ↑knot, ↑loophole, ↑muscle, ↑noose, ↑nut, ↑regulation, ↑rein, ↑restriction, ↑rope, ↑screw, ↑security, ↑strap, ↑string, ↑supervision

Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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Synonyms:

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  • tighten — UK [ˈtaɪt(ə)n] / US or tighten up UK / US verb Word forms tighten : present tense I/you/we/they tighten he/she/it tightens present participle tightening past tense tightened past participle tightened Word forms tighten up : present tense… …   English dictionary

  • Tighten Up — may refer to: Tighten Up (Archie Bell the Drells album) Tighten Up (Archie Bell the Drells song) Tighten Up (Electronic song) Tighten Up (The Black Keys song) Tighten Up, a 1960s series of reggae compilation albums issued by Trojan Records See… …   Wikipedia

  • tighten — UK US /ˈtaɪtən/ verb [I or T] ► (also tighten up) GOVERNMENT, LAW to make a rule, system, or law stronger and more difficult to ignore: tighten controls/rules/regulation »There were renewed calls to tighten controls on imported products. ►… …   Financial and business terms

  • Tighten — Tight en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tightened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tightening}.] To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. [1913 Webster] Just where I please, with tightened rein I ll urge thee round the dusty plain. Fawkes. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tighten — index adhere (fasten), constrict (compress) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • tighten — (v.) to make tight, 1727; the earlier verb was simply tight, from O.E. tyhtan, from the root of TIGHT (Cf. tight). Related: Tightened; tightening …   Etymology dictionary

  • tighten — [v] constrict bind, clench, close, compress, condense, congeal, contract, cramp, crush, fasten, fix, grip, harden, narrow, pinch, pressure, rigidify, screw, secure, squeeze, stiffen, strain, strangle, stretch, tauten, tense, toughen; concepts 250 …   New thesaurus

  • tighten — [tīt′ n] vt., vi. to make or become tight or tighter tightener n …   English World dictionary

  • tighten — [[t]ta͟ɪt(ə)n[/t]] tightens, tightening, tightened 1) V ERG If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens, you hold the thing more firmly or securely. [V n] Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder... [V prep] Her… …   English dictionary

  • tighten — tight|en [ˈtaıtn] v also tighten up 1.) [T] to close or fasten something firmly by turning it ≠ ↑loosen ▪ Tighten the screws firmly. ▪ I d put the new tyre on, but I hadn t tightened up the wheel. 2.) [I and T] if you tighten a rope, wire etc, or …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tighten — tight|en [ taıtn ] verb ** 1. ) transitive to turn something such as a screw or cover until it is tight and you cannot turn it any more 2. ) transitive to pull something such as a rope or belt until it is straighter or fits more tightly around… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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