tensile strength

noun

: the greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing apart

Examples of tensile strength in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The glass fibers offer tensile strength, bound together by the resin, resulting in a flexible composite that is also very durable. Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Testing showed that films made from grapevine canes were, in terms of tensile strength, even stronger than traditional plastic bags. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2025 This weakness often leads to cracking under bending or stretching forces, which is why steel reinforcement is used to provide tensile strength (the amount of stress a material can take before breaking). Carol Cain, Freep.com, 3 July 2025 The final product has 50 percent more tensile strength than steel and a strength-to-weight ratio 10 times greater. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tensile strength

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tensile strength was in 1862

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Cite this Entry

“Tensile strength.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tensile%20strength. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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