as in pressure
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
under a lot of tension right now about her decision not to go to college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tension
Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022
The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
As Toni, Trina, Towanda, Tamar, and Ms. Evelyn continue to share their lives following Traci’s passing, tensions mount, but love remains present.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tension
Noun
The roof bars tension the whole tent nicely, pulling against the stakes, so there’s no slack in the walls and no sag in the roof.
—Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022
The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Verb
Despite signs of stock market stabilization and amongst ongoing trade tensions, consumer confidence is teetering on the edge.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
As Toni, Trina, Towanda, Tamar, and Ms. Evelyn continue to share their lives following Traci’s passing, tensions mount, but love remains present.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tension
Noun
-
The vote has coincided with efforts by Beijing to raise its military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
His game plan was to move forward, pressure Volkanovski and land with power.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Your neck muscles begin to tense, and your heart beat begins to rise.—
Janice Marturano,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
My muscles tensed, my heart pounded and my body performed a maneuver on its own accord.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
Combined with negative working capital and declining revenue, this creates significant financial stress, notes Macroaxis.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
-
Heat stress, lack of water or nutrients, and overcrowding cause thin carrots.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
The race is bound to tighten somewhat after the September preliminary election, when the field will be winnowed to just Kraft and Wu.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
22 July 2025
-
However, more countries are looking to tighten restrictions on who can get a passport, making citizenship a more urgent goal.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Any of the best mattress sales (and there are many happening right now) can at least decrease the strain on your wallet.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
22 July 2025
-
When borrowers can’t cover their debt payments or show other signs of financial strain, more flexible terms buy them time and often lead to them taking on even more debt to meet their cash needs.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share