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
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
The marvellous, transforming Aska A5 has driven on the street and taken off, but not in the same video clip, and its flight tests thus far have been on safety tethers.
—New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2025
Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
This may be an opportunity for Egypt to address another of its challenges and diversify its portfolio of patrons away from the dependence on the crisis rents that have served to keep it (and Jordan) tethered to American support.
—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
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Noun
The question going forward is whether the string that tethers elected officials to at least a show of fealty to the Constitution will continue to hold.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
The marvellous, transforming Aska A5 has driven on the street and taken off, but not in the same video clip, and its flight tests thus far have been on safety tethers.
—New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
Tariffs may not be as beloved by all Republicans, but Trump has cobbled a right-wing coalition together by tethering his trade posture to a classic business-friendly program of cutting taxes and regulations.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
This may be an opportunity for Egypt to address another of its challenges and diversify its portfolio of patrons away from the dependence on the crisis rents that have served to keep it (and Jordan) tethered to American support.
—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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