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
Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Nov. 2024
But, as our offices become more mobile, and our tether to a single home base becomes increasingly slack, these rules have changed.
—Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
Being constantly tethered to others through our phones and social media is unnatural.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether 
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Noun
Sometimes a correct installation uses a locked seat belt or a latch and lower anchors or a tether.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Nov. 2024
But, as our offices become more mobile, and our tether to a single home base becomes increasingly slack, these rules have changed.
—Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
Stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, they’re only allowed to leave as long as they’re attached to a rope tethered to their house because of an evil presence.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
Being constantly tethered to others through our phones and social media is unnatural.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether
Dictionary Entries Near tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 28 Nov. 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
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