tautly

/ˈtɔtli/
adverb
  1. In a tight, stretched, or tense manner.
    • The fabric was stretched tautly over the frame.
    • The rope was pulled tautly across the gap.
    • She held the reins tautly as the horse galloped.
  2. In a controlled, tense, or disciplined way (figurative).
    • He answered tautly, his voice barely hiding his anger.
    • The team played tautly, making few mistakes.
    • The thriller was tautly written, with no wasted scenes.
Synonyms
What does "tautly" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean