✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Learn More!
✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary — Learn More!

on tenterhooks

phrase

Synonyms of on tenterhooksnext
: in a state of uneasiness, strain, or suspense
the waiting kept us on tenterhooks

Browse Nearby Words

ontario violet
on tenterhooks
on that/this score
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On tenterhooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20tenterhooks. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on on tenterhooks

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for on tenterhooks

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

The Words of the Week - Dec. 26

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thank-you-different-languages
Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese, or Hindi? Quiz Guess the language these English words come from.
See All