tighten up

English

Verb

tighten up (third-person singular simple present tightens up, present participle tightening up, simple past and past participle tightened up)

1. (transitive) To make sufficiently tight.
2. (transitive) To fix something or make it correct.
   • 2012, Stanley Chodorow, Gordon Harvey, Writing a Successful Research Paper, and, Writing with Sources, →ISBN:

     As noted in the last chapter, you should tighten up your argument and prose when you revise the first draft for substantive change.

   • 2013, Donal Ryan, The Thing About December, →ISBN:

     He might do a third cut of silage, or he'd tighten up around the place in preparation for the winter, or he'd be still going off doing blocklaying jobs.

3. (intransitive) To become tense and restrained.
   • 2006, David Apostolico, Lessons From The Pro Poker Tour, →ISBN:

     You must follow every change because every change affects your play. If another player loses a big pot, you must ask yourself how this will affect his play. Will he go on tilt? Will he tighten up?

   • 2008, William Moran, Alj, →ISBN, page 104:

     He could feel himself tighten up as he prepared himself to ask her.

4. (intransitive, transitive) To become stringent and ungenerous.
   • 1997, Pól Ó Dochartaigh, The Portrayal of Jews in GDR Prose Fiction, →ISBN, page 153:

     In May 1973 Honecker made another speech to the SED Central Committee, in which he appeared to want to tighten up the rules, as if his remarks in 1971 had been interpreted too liberally, but the VIIth Writers' Congress in November of the same year confirmed the relative freedom of the previous two years.

   • 2000, Sanford F. Schram, After Welfare: The Culture of Postindustrial Social Policy, →ISBN, page 105:

     Or perhaps states were beginning to appreciate how ironic welfare reform really is. With the Supreme Court invalidating lower benefits for newcomers, states may now have even greater incentives to tighten up and make welfare less attractive.

5. (intransitive) To become focused and serious; To stop any vacillation or inconsistency.
   • 1922, A. M. Chisholm, A Thousand a Plate:

     Plainly winter was at hand.
     "Just as well we started when we did," said Bill. "No tellin' when she'll tighten up."
     "May do it any time," Sam agreed.

   • 2012 -, Mychea, He Loves Me, He Loves You Not, →ISBN:

     You need to tighten up and stop being so fuckin' emotional for one in your life.