tenses

present tense third-person singular of tense
as in tightens
to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

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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 tenses Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenses
tightens
Verb
  • Pell Grant rules are changing The new tax law also tightens eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant program, the largest federal aid program for low-income students.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • Meta tightens internal limits on Claude and Codex over distillation fears.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 30 June 2026

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“Tenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenses. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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