1
as in pressure
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
with a full-time job and her college courses, the young woman is under a lot of stress right now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in emphasis
a special notice or importance given to something
the company's orientation program places considerable stress on workplace safety
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to emphasize
to make more apparent
his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
the doctor stressed the importance of exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 stress
Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
On top of the loud, grating sound that ensues, these uneven roads can cause undue stress on your bag’s wheels and axles, shortening their lifespan in the process.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Why efficiency matters more than ever Cole stressed that efficiency is not just an engineering trophy metric.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stress
Noun
Co-existence and compensation Environmental groups, including the California Wolf Center and Defenders of Wildlife, support efforts to compensate ranchers for their losses, and acknowledge the stress that residents are experiencing in rural areas where wolves have settled.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
On top of the loud, grating sound that ensues, these uneven roads can cause undue stress on your bag’s wheels and axles, shortening their lifespan in the process.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Fallon told Kelce not to stress about wedding planning.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Why efficiency matters more than ever Cole stressed that efficiency is not just an engineering trophy metric.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stress
Noun
-
Republicans argued this, and not pressure from Carr, was the reason behind ABC’s decision to bench Kimmel.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
With the gap between predictive models and regulatory maps now exposed, pressure is building on municipalities and state agencies to modernize infrastructure and flood mitigation planning.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The emphasis on ball movement has multiple players posting some of their best career seasons.—
Matthew Coller,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Nearly every aspiring interface designer believed the way we were forced to interact with computers was limiting and frustrating, but one man in particular felt the emphasis on design itself missed the forest for the trees.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wildfire worries With the worsening drought comes worries over wildfires.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The airline's fall from grace should worry anyone with loyalty to the brand.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In recent years, as American moms have been enthusiastically encouraged to breastfeed, many experts have emphasized that making sure infants are fed, period, should be parents’ highest priority.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Psychologist Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of Nonviolent Communication, emphasized that beneath most criticisms or demands lies a universal human need.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The win highlighted the robot’s endurance and hinted at broader applications in sports and beyond.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Recent news reports highlight several incidents where this sort of data leak has already happened.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With flicker free and low blue light technologies, KTC is touting the H27P3 for reducing eye strain, especially during extended work sessions.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
When tested, the team found that the new material is extremely stretchy, able to safely handle ~4600% strain (like stretching 1 cm of gel to 46 cm without breaking).—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The world champion stated that her next focus is to win the 200-meter dash in the coming days.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The focus was on now, on later today, or this weekend.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of predictive policing that reinforces existing biases, envision AI that helps communities understand and address root causes of social problems.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
That’s not the case with the Margaret Dabbs London Nail Strengthening Treatment, which reinforces flimsy fingernails after just one swipe of its brush.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stress. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share