tie that binds

noun

Something shared between two or more people, such as consanguinity, interest, experience, or debt, that causes their relationship with each other to strengthen or to durably resist sundering.

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Meanings

nountie that binds (plural ties that bind)

plural ties that bind

  1. figurativelySomething shared between two or more people, such as consanguinity, interest, experience, or debt, that causes their relationship with each other to strengthen or to durably resist sundering.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tie, bind.

Origin

Dates back to a 1782 Christian hymn titled "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" by John Fawcett.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tie that binds. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20that%20binds

MLA

“tie that binds.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20that%20binds. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tie that binds,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20that%20binds.

Source: tie that binds on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.