estrechar
/estɾeˈt͡ʃaɾ/ · B2 · verb
to narrow
🤝 es-TRECH-ar: a tight TRENCH, a narrow passage squeezed close
Estrechar comes from estrecho (narrow), from Latin strictus, 'drawn tight'. Same root as English strict and strait. Narrowing a gap brings things close, so it extends to tightening bonds and clasping hands: estrechar la mano.