taut

The crowd cheered and whooped for Jerry Lee, who raised a hand and pulled his face in a taut grin.

There is less danger of puckering the stuff if you hold it over two fingers (at least), keeping it taut and the thread loose.

There she was, the Dancing Bess, holding a taut bowline to the eastward.

After a considerable time of intense anxiety it was found that the line was taut.

It slid across the earth on taut limbs, as if it was going to attack the cows.

And Orin, a fixed, taut look on his face, reached forth his hand and touched a button on the panel board.