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
Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
Any measure that was able to significantly impact tether's ability to operate would likely be a massive medium-term blow to the entire industry.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 June 2025
Emoji, as images, can never be tethered to one meaning.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tether
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
If posted, she would be required to wear a steel cuff tether, report daily to community corrections, abstain from drugs and alcohol with testing, have no contact with the victim’s family, and stay away from the McDonald’s, the prosecutor's office said.
—Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
Any measure that was able to significantly impact tether's ability to operate would likely be a massive medium-term blow to the entire industry.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Best of all, its cordless design gives you free rein to vacuum all over the house without being tethered to an outlet.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 June 2025
Emoji, as images, can never be tethered to one meaning.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 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 18 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share