tighten · verb I or T /ˈtɑɪt.ən/
Word family
Adjectives: tight
Verbs: tighten
Adverbs: tight, tightly
tighten
B2 to become tighter or to make something become tighter
Dictionary examples:
His hand tightened around her arm.
Tighten the straps so they don't rub.
As he struggled, the ropes tightened even more.
We tightened up all the screws.
Learner example:
They simply filled the bathtub with ice cold water and tightened the belts. (First Certificate in English; B2; Swedish)
tighten your belt
C2 to try to spend less money
Dictionary example:
Since I lost my job we've all had to tighten our belts.
Learner example:
All this costs money and where do we get this extra money from but from the tax payers, who once again have to tighten their belts. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Swedish)
