tighten up
phrasal 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Both teams tightened up their defensive intensity, but couldn’t get anything to go in.
—
Shaela Foster, Baltimore Sun, 27 Feb. 2025
The game tightened up from there, but the Americans never really got close.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
The government has agreed with its far-right backers in parliament to tighten up the vetting process for people applying for gun licenses and to clamp down on some semi-automatic weapons.
—Reuters, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
In 2026, the TV Academy will tighten up rules regarding casting for reality programs and main title music.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
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Shaela Foster, Baltimore Sun, 27 Feb. 2025
The game tightened up from there, but the Americans never really got close.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
The government has agreed with its far-right backers in parliament to tighten up the vetting process for people applying for gun licenses and to clamp down on some semi-automatic weapons.
—Reuters, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
In 2026, the TV Academy will tighten up rules regarding casting for reality programs and main title music.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
Cite this Entry
“Tighten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20up. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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