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

Prime examples include jaw issues like pain, clicking, popping, and locking (since a forward leaning head can take your jaw out of ideal alignment), as well as increased chances of tension headaches, because the neck muscles that attach to the base of your skull tighten up, Dr. Harding says. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024

The coaching staff would tell you the offense needs to get better in every regard, and there is a lot to tighten up. —Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 23 Oct. 2024

New state laws were recently passed that tighten up reporting requirements. —Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 22 Oct. 2024

Ferreira has three knockouts with PFL in under one minute, and seven career first round finishes. Ngannou vs. Ferreira Betting Odds The betting line for this fight has tightened up. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024