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
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Cat was her only tether to something real.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Those questions from reporters may soon be the last thing left tethering the President to at least some form of reality.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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
Yeti’s Yonder Bottle with a tether cap is lightweight, leakproof, and BPA-free.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Cat was her only tether to something real.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
You won't often be tethered to an outlet either, thanks to up to 12 hours of battery life.
—PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Those questions from reporters may soon be the last thing left tethering the President to at least some form of reality.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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