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tightening

tightening

15 3.3
Making something fit more closely or making rules stronger
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪtənɪŋ/
: ajuste
  • An additional consequence was a rapid tightening on imports into most of Europe.
  • budget tightening
  • tightening of controls
  • fiscal tightening

It's time to start the conversation about monetary tightening.

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Examples

  • The recent tightening of safety regulations has made construction sites much safer.

  • The application of the orthosis and strap tightening was completed with strict adherence to manufacturer recommendations.

    Academic text (1995)
  • I felt a tightening in my chest and here it goes.

  • I had the same thing a few years ago, like a tightening in my chest.

  • But it's like a tightening of the muscles, I guess.

  • Since the introduction of sanctions, there has been some tightening of central controls.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The federal government's belt tightening began to pay dividends almost instantaneously.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The clinical result is the tightening of lax skin and the removal of superficial blemishes.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Internationally, educational restructuring is a response to the economic belt-tightening of a besieged world economy.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The astringent gives smooth smoothness and firmness by tightening loose skin and flabby muscles of the face and neck.

Synonyms

fastening
vstightening
2 3.9

A thing that holds two parts together so they stay secure

is about making the fit snug and less loose rather than joining parts
take-up
vstightening
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A device or action that pulls in extra material, for example slack in a rope

is the general action of reducing looseness rather than a specific device for it
securement
vstightening
1 6.1

Fastening something so it does not move or fall

focuses on making the fit snug and less loose rather than safety emphasis

Antonyms

4 3.4

Making something less tight or less strict

How Tight

locking
12 1.3
to clamp
70 3.3
tightening
15 3.3
loosening
4 3.4

Surface Forms

tightening singular
tightenings plural

Morphology

tightening = tighten (transparent) = tight + en + ing

Formed by adding the gerundive suffix '-ing' to the everyday verb 'tighten', preserving the verb meaning as a noun.

Etymology

Tightening comes from the simple word tight meaning 'close' or 'firm' and the verb part -en meaning 'make', so it literally means 'making tight'. That's why tightening describes the act of making something tighter or more secure, like turning a bolt until it holds firmly.