1
a
: having no give or slack : tightly drawn
a taut rope
b
: high-strung, tense
taut nerves
2
a
: kept in proper order or condition
a taut ship
b(1)
: not loose or flabby
taut skin
(2)
: marked by economy of structure and detail
a taut story
tautly
adverb
tautness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of taut in a Sentence
Adjective
The rope was drawn taut.
The book is a taut thriller.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
But unlike explorations of this taut dynamic before it, Mangold’s film subtly grapples with what exactly this taking looks like.
—Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Along with a fine script (also by the Coens) and some taut direction, No Country for Old Men is benefited to an incalculable degree with its trio of lead actors.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
The taut film explores how the U.S. team from ABC Sports, led by its now-legendary anchor Jim McKay, arrives at the games flying high.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for taut 
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Adjective
Advertisement Like a taut earthquake fault that too often unbelts itself and cuts loose with repellent force, a deep lode of hate and racist one-upmanship undergirds Southern California.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
But unlike explorations of this taut dynamic before it, Mangold’s film subtly grapples with what exactly this taking looks like.
—Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Along with a fine script (also by the Coens) and some taut direction, No Country for Old Men is benefited to an incalculable degree with its trio of lead actors.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
The taut film explores how the U.S. team from ABC Sports, led by its now-legendary anchor Jim McKay, arrives at the games flying high.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for taut
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Cite this Entry
“Taut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taut. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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