tighten one's belt

verb

To be more frugal; to make difficult economic savings due to a lowering of expected income.

“In the current crisis, we will have to tighten our belts.”

Similar
tighten the purse strings
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Meanings

verbtighten one's belt (third-person singular simple present tightens one's belt, present participle tightening one's belt, simple past and past participle tightened one's belt)

present singular third person tightens one's belt · participle present tightening one's belt · participle past tightened one's belt · past tightened one's belt

  1. figurativelyTo be more frugal; to make difficult economic savings due to a lowering of expected income.

    In the current crisis, we will have to tighten our belts.

    Synonyms: tighten the purse strings

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be more frugal; to make difficult economic savings due to a lowering of expected income.

Similar
tighten the purse strings

Translations

Dutch de broekriem aanhalen
  • de broekriem aanhalenbe more frugal
Finnish kiristää vyötään
  • kiristää vyötäänbe more frugal
French se serrer la ceinture
  • se serrer la ceinturebe more frugal
German den Gürtel enger schnallen
  • den Gürtel enger schnallenbe more frugal
Greek σφίγγω το ζωνάρι
  • σφίγγω το ζωνάρι (sfíngo to zonári)be more frugal
Hungarian meghúzza a nadrágszíjat, összehúzza a nadrágszíjat
  • meghúzza a nadrágszíjatbe more frugal
  • összehúzza a nadrágszíjatbe more frugal
Polish zaciskać pasa, zacisnąć pasa
  • zaciskać pasabe more frugal
  • zacisnąć pasabe more frugal
Russian затяну́ть реме́нь поту́же
  • затяну́ть реме́нь поту́же (zatjanútʹ reménʹ potúže)be more frugal
Spanish apretarse el cinturón
  • apretarse el cinturónbe more frugal
Swedish dra åt svångremmen
  • dra åt svångremmenbe more frugal
Tagalog maghigpit ng sinturon
  • maghigpit ng sinturonbe more frugal
Turkish kemer sıkmak
  • kemer sıkmakbe more frugal
Cite this entry
APA

tighten one's belt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tighten%20one's%20belt

MLA

“tighten one's belt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tighten%20one's%20belt. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tighten one's belt,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tighten%20one's%20belt.

Source: tighten one's belt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.