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 Web
David Benedict, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
Some companies have been working on tethers, essentially long metal strips that would fly behind satellites and convert their kinetic energy into electrical energy, slowing the satellite and sending it downward.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
In Georgia, 65% of people eligible for Pathways are employed at least part time, while many of the rest are tethered to unpaid work such as caregiving that Pathways does not recognize, state data shows.
—Margaret Coker, ProPublica, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
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Noun
An all-seeing Jorge Bosch is wholly convincing as the long-suffering Argentinian chairman who, at the end of his tether and to everyone’s astonishment, vanishes in desperation from the climactic discussion.
—David Benedict, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
Some companies have been working on tethers, essentially long metal strips that would fly behind satellites and convert their kinetic energy into electrical energy, slowing the satellite and sending it downward.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
That means offshore wind farms in California will float on the water’s surface, tethered or moored by cables to the ocean floor.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
In Georgia, 65% of people eligible for Pathways are employed at least part time, while many of the rest are tethered to unpaid work such as caregiving that Pathways does not recognize, state data shows.
—Margaret Coker, ProPublica, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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
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