1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a tense relationship existed between the two teachers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tight
stretched with little or no give
a tense rope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tense
Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Boy Meets World alum Maitland Ward opened up about her recent reunion with former costar Danielle Fishel, which resulted in a tense exchange on the latter’s podcast.
—Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Markham Heid, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The unidentified caseworker was described in court documents as having his eyes bulging, drooling and his arm muscles tensing during the attack.
—Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
Whether the order expresses animus against trans people sparked a tense back-and-forth between Justice Department attorney Jason C. Lynch and U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes during a preliminary hearing in the lawsuit last week.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Boy Meets World alum Maitland Ward opened up about her recent reunion with former costar Danielle Fishel, which resulted in a tense exchange on the latter’s podcast.
—Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
For example, progressive muscle relaxation therapy—an intervention that involves systematically tensing and then relaxing the body’s muscles—was found to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer, according to research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
—Markham Heid, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The unidentified caseworker was described in court documents as having his eyes bulging, drooling and his arm muscles tensing during the attack.
—Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
In my neighborhood, people are worried about rising costs of everything.—
Robin Holmes,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Given his fake news rhetoric, Trump is certainly not worried about media reports, traditionally a strong external check on presidential power.—
Sergei Klebnikov,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The resolution is seeking $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, measures that have met opposition from Democrats and made some Republicans uneasy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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In my conversations with barbecue people, there was often uneasy tension about whether craft barbecue is something new or a return to an old way of doing things.—
Rachel Monroe,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) forecasts a modest 0.2 percent increase in single-family home builds to start in 2025, but notes that regulatory hurdles, construction costs and tight lending conditions could slow further expansion.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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As a result, prognosticators consider this a tight race.—
Nathaniel Rakich,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Portugal and Greece Ramp Up Golden Visas Golden visas offer EU residency through investment, but rising concerns over housing, security and fairness have caused many countries to shut them down or tighten regulations.—
Passport by ForbesLife,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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But the race has tightened between him and Brody, who is predicted to take home the Best Actor prize for his riveting performance as a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor in the three-and-half hour-plus saga.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Some Trump advisers were nervous the deal might go south before the ceremonial signing, but felt confident by the time Mr. Trump greeted Zelenskyy.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2025
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At the premiere of that film, Brothers At War, in 2009, Joe was nervous.—
Eileen Finan,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
These findings should be deeply disturbing to Western policymakers, for at least two reasons.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices is disturbing.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent is a taut re-creation of a real event that took place during the Bosnian War, which has unfortunate parallels to our own trajectory.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Along with director Edward Berger, Peter Straughan’s taut adaptation approaches the material with intimacy or big bold brushstrokes as required, crafting juicy roles for one of the year’s most outstanding ensembles.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
While many companies rapidly integrate AI, this data reveals a growing disconnect: employees are increasingly anxious about its impact.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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But raising cash remains a challenge for some, with investors anxious about startups courting enough customers for healthy returns, Pershad said.—
Liang Lei,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to tense
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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