high-tension

adjective

high-ten·​sion ˈhī-ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce high-tension (audio)
: having or using a high voltage

Examples of high-tension in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Finally, Robles shared an animatic for one of the show’s high-tension action sequences, even sneaking in some animation by Kevin Molina-Ortiz. Jamie Lang, Variety, 11 June 2025 Their cross-country flight was about 2 miles southeast of the airfield when, amid dense fog, the jet struck high-tension power lines and went down around 3:47 a.m., officials said. Melissa Chan, NBC news, 8 June 2025 Hours later, the plane struck high-tension power lines on approach to the runway at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego and crashed, Baker said. Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 May 2025 The jet hit high-tension power lines while approaching the airport and crashed into a home a few miles away around 3:40 a.m., according to officials. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025 After several minutes of high-tension, three-on-three overtime play in the recent World Junior Championship gold medal game in Ottawa, future Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium had apparently seen enough. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2025 Another pair of monkeys climbed a high-tension transmission tower near the town of Hicksville, resulting in a 30-minute power outage and fatal consequences for the two culprits. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 In the wake of the high-tension election cycle, President Biden and the president-elect had a meeting in the Oval Office earlier this month. Tara Suter, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024 Relations between Kennedy and Johnson had been strained: the high-tension Democratic Party primaries in 1960 played a role; so did the simple fact that up to this point presidents had kept their vice presidents distant. David Priess, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2016

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-tension was in 1847

Cite this Entry

“High-tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-tension. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

high-tension

adjective
: having or using a high voltage

More from Merriam-Webster on high-tension

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!