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
The match was effectively over at this point, with Sabalenka tightening up her service games in the second set, as Badosa would have feared, to win in one hour and 26 minutes.
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Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
On the other hand: The Buccaneers gave up 14.1 first-half points per game this year, more than any team other than Carolina, before tightening up to 7.9 second-half points per game, second-best in the NFL.
—Jordan Brenner, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
The plan is to tighten up the fenders, bring down the weight to 1,540 lb (698 kg), achieve a mind-blowing 8,820 lb (4,000 kg) of downforce, and hit peak output figures of 1,500-1,600 hp.
—New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025
Yale-Loehr also noted that recent changes have given U.S. immigration officials greater authority to tighten up the H-1B program, including imposing penalties and inspections.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
On the other hand: The Buccaneers gave up 14.1 first-half points per game this year, more than any team other than Carolina, before tightening up to 7.9 second-half points per game, second-best in the NFL.
—Jordan Brenner, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
The plan is to tighten up the fenders, bring down the weight to 1,540 lb (698 kg), achieve a mind-blowing 8,820 lb (4,000 kg) of downforce, and hit peak output figures of 1,500-1,600 hp.
—New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025
Yale-Loehr also noted that recent changes have given U.S. immigration officials greater authority to tighten up the H-1B program, including imposing penalties and inspections.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tighten up
Dictionary Entries Near tighten up
Cite this Entry
“Tighten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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