tighten up meaning and examples

Meaning

tighten up is a phrasal verb that means:

1. To make something firmer, stricter, or more secure.
2. To improve or correct something by making it more precise or efficient.
3. (Informal) To become tense, nervous, or less relaxed.

Grammar and Usage

• Verb type: Phrasal verb (transitive & intransitive).

• Patterns:

  • tighten up + object → “tighten up the rules”
  • tighten up on + noun → “tighten up on spending”
  • tighten up (intransitive) → “He tends to tighten up before a performance.”

Common Phrases

• tighten up the rules
• tighten up security
• tighten up spending
• tighten up on procedures
• tighten up muscles

Collocations

• Verb + tighten up: must tighten up, need to tighten up
• Noun + tighten up: tighten up rules, tighten up security, tighten up muscles
• Adverb + tighten up: really tighten up, gradually tighten up

Examples

1. The school decided to tighten up the rules on smartphone use.
2. We need to tighten up security before the event.
3. The government plans to tighten up on spending this year.
4. You should tighten up your writing by removing unnecessary words.
5. The coach told the players to tighten up their defense.
6. He tends to tighten up whenever he speaks in public.
7. The editor asked her to tighten up the article before publishing.
8. They promised to tighten up procedures after the mistake.

Synonyms or Related

• strengthen
• enforce
• improve
• refine
• correct
• secure

Antonym

• loosen up
• relax
• slacken