Meaning & use
tightening
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“tightening” is a form of “tighten”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
the act of making rules, controls, or money supply stricter or more limited.
Grammar: Used as a noun, usually with 'the' or in phrases like 'a tightening of'.
Patterns
- a tightening of something
- economic tightening
- monetary tightening
The government announced a tightening of immigration rules.
The central bank's tightening has made loans more expensive.
A tightening of security followed the incident.
verbtransitive
making something tighter, such as a screw, a grip, or a rule.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of 'tighten'; it needs an object: 'tightening the screws'.
Patterns
- tightening something
- tightening your grip
- tightening the rules
She is tightening the lid on the jar.
The company is tightening its spending.
He was tightening the bolts when the phone rang.
Common combinations
- a tightening of
- There has been a tightening of the rules on imports.
- monetary tightening
- Monetary tightening can slow down inflation.
- tightening credit
- Tightening credit conditions hurt small businesses.
- tightening your belt
- After the pay cut, they had to start tightening their belts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- restriction
- A restriction is a specific rule that limits something; tightening is the process of making limits stricter.
- contraction
- Contraction is used in economics for a decrease in activity; tightening refers specifically to policy or controls.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tightening or tighten?
tightening vs tighten
Tighten is the base verb; tightening is the -ing form or the noun. Don't use 'tightening' where you need a base verb after 'to': 'to tighten', not 'to tightening'.
Practice
The government announced a ______ of border controls.
Choose one answer.
After 'a' we need a noun, and 'tightening' works as a noun meaning the act of making stricter. 'Tighten' is a verb and cannot follow 'a' directly; 'tight' is an adjective; 'tightly' is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tightening”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.