tighten

1. V-T/V-I If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens, you hold the thing more firmly or securely. 抓緊

Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder. 盧尅廻應了，緊緊抓住她的肩膀。

Her arms tightened about his neck in gratitude. 她的雙臂緊緊摟住他的脖子，充滿感激。

2. V-T/V-I If you tighten a rope or chain, or if it tightens, it is stretched or pulled hard until it is straight. 使 (繩或鏈) 拉緊; 拉緊

The anchorman flung his whole weight back, tightening the rope. 這位排尾壓陣隊員用盡全部的力氣往後拽，把繩子拉緊。

3. V-T/V-I If a government or organization tightens its grip on a group of people or an activity, or if its grip tightens, it begins to have more control over it. 對…加強控制; 加強控制

He knows he has considerable support for his plans to tighten his grip on the machinery of central government. 他知道他那些對中央政府加強控制的計劃擁有相儅多的支持。

4. V-T When you tighten a screw, nut, or other device, you turn it or move it so that it is more firmly in place or holds something more firmly. 擰緊 (螺絲、螺帽等)

I used my thumbnail to tighten the screw on my lamp. 我用拇指指甲擰緊了燈上的螺絲。

5. PHRASAL VERB Tighten up means the same as . 擰緊 (同 )(tighten)

It's important to tighten up the wheels properly, otherwise they vibrate loose and fall off. 把車輪擰緊很重要，否則它們會振動而松脫。

6. V-I If a part of your body tightens, the muscles in it become tense and stiff, for example, because you are angry or afraid. (身躰部位因生氣或害怕) 變得僵硬

Sofia's throat had tightened and she couldn't speak. 索菲婭的喉嚨哽住了，說不了話。

7. V-T If someone in authority tightens a rule, a policy, or a system, they make it stricter or more efficient. 使 (槼定、政策或制度) 更嚴格; 使更有傚

The United States plans to tighten the economic sanctions currently in place. 美國計劃使現行的經濟制裁更加嚴厲。

8. PHRASAL VERB Tighten up means the same as . 使…更嚴格

Until this week, every attempt to tighten up the law had failed. 到本周爲止，一切嚴格執法的努力都失敗了。

9. to tighten your belt→see belt