1
a
: a line (as of rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so as to restrict its range of movement
b
: a line to which someone or something is attached (as for security)
A crewman can clip the tether of his harness to the [safety line] and leave it clipped as he makes his way forward and aft.—
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith2
: the limit of one's strength or resources
I'm at the end of my tether.
tethered; tethering
ˈte-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
: to fasten or restrain by or as if by a tether
felt tethered to her desk until the work was done
Examples of tether in a Sentence
Verb
They tethered the horses in the shade.
The dog was tethered to the fence.
Recent Examples on the WebKathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 May 2024
His fiancee is extremely controlling and has him on a very short tether.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 3 May 2024
Jay Bulger, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2024
On most afternoons, before spectators were allowed inside the swimming venue at the Paris Olympics, seven men and women would silently march on to the pool deck to practice tethering flags to three horizontal white bars suspended from the ceiling.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether 
Noun
Before the meeting begins, witnesses spot a man working to secure the balloon tethers to the stakes.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 May 2024
His fiancee is extremely controlling and has him on a very short tether.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 3 May 2024
Verb
But today, thanks to a saturated market, that pound goes for $3,000, and AJ has tethered himself to the future of Flowerhouse.
—Jay Bulger, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2024
On most afternoons, before spectators were allowed inside the swimming venue at the Paris Olympics, seven men and women would silently march on to the pool deck to practice tethering flags to three horizontal white bars suspended from the ceiling.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tether.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tether
1 of 2 noun
teth·er
ˈtet͟h-ər
: a line by which something (as an animal or a balloon) is fastened so as to limit its range
tether
2 of 2 verb
tethered; tethering
ˈtet͟h-(ə-)riŋ
: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether
felt tethered to my desk
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share