| Clue | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Made tight | New York Times | 25 Mar 2020 |
| Like a fishing line after a bite | New York Times | 20 Jun 2019 |
| Stretched tight | New York Times | 07 Apr 2019 |
| Like a fishing line after a bite | ||
| Stretched tight | ||
| Removed slack from | Wall Street Journal | 07 Mar 2018 |
| Like a rope in tug of war | New York Times | 12 Nov 2017 |
| Like a rope in tug of war | ||
| Got rid of slack | Eugene Sheffer | 20 Jul 2015 |
| Took up the slack in | ||
| Took up the slack? | ||
| Made tight | ||
| Put a strain on | ||
| Tensed. |