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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stress
Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
In terms of how stress affects breathing, Marsh said email apnea can cause bad habits to form; the body gets used to micro-bracing the diaphragm and chest, so this breathing pattern can become a habit.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026
Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026
While the boys coaches were stressing out, the Bloomfield girls won easily, with 76 points and Greenwich was the runner-up with 55.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stress
Noun
Don’t Overlook Sleep, Stress, or Alcohol Chronic stress and poor sleep can negatively affect metabolic health.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
In terms of how stress affects breathing, Marsh said email apnea can cause bad habits to form; the body gets used to micro-bracing the diaphragm and chest, so this breathing pattern can become a habit.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
While sowing seeds in winter is a smart way to get a head start on gardening season, doing so too early can stress your seedlings, rendering your efforts useless.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026
While the boys coaches were stressing out, the Bloomfield girls won easily, with 76 points and Greenwich was the runner-up with 55.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stress
Noun
-
Washington is ramping up pressure on Tehran, amassing aircraft and warships in the Middle East, and sanctioning more than 30 entities that support Iranian oil and weapons sales.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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The heroes were Bruce Brown for his relentless ball pressure, Spencer Jones for his pesky physicality and Cam Johnson for his heady defensive impact as much as Jokic for his typical box score theatrics.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For consumers, that makes the likely shift in car lots more gradual, with more trucks and SUVs, stronger hybrid emphasis, and a potentially slower EV ramp-up as automakers take time to recalibrate.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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Other times, his emphasis seems to be on ousting Iran's theocratic leaders, who have ruled for nearly a half-century.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In addition to worry over exposure to toxins in food and drinking water, more than 60% of American adults are also very or somewhat concerned about chemicals that industry uses in children’s toys and baby products, food packaging, and personal care products such as makeup, the Pew survey found.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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With nine Democrats in the field, party leaders worry that two Republican candidates could advance to November’s general election.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When many publications let down their paywall at the tantalizing prospect of chasing massive audiences online through social platforms, The Economist remained skeptical, choosing a model that emphasized subscription and reader revenue over advertising.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Rooms emphasize the history – plenty of velvet, iron, wood, particularly in the suites, where design elements take their cues from Italian opera boxes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One of those is Garcia, who his coach went on to highlight.—
Erik Anderson,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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Poway, the reigning Masters Champion but the runner-up in the Division 2 section finals meet two weeks ago, powered through to retain the Masters team title at 183 points, highlighted by having six finalists and three champions.—
Breven Honda,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During the team’s four-game trip out west — of which Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) and Suggs (back strain) missed three games — Banchero was tasked at times with the defending the opposing team’s top player.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
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After shoulder surgery in 2023, a full year of rehab in 2024 and a choppy 2025 comeback hampered by ankle tendinitis, a line-drive off his elbow and a lat strain in his back, Woodruff is ready to lead the rotation.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps, it was posed to Doncic, the Lakers lost some focus on offense because of the complaints that led to the T’s.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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That was all well and good on the farm, where the focus is on player development, not winning.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To reshape the Mountain View pond and reinforce levees against sea-level rise and storm surges, crews imported 180,000 cubic yards of fill dirt from local construction sites.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Both names jumped as a result, reinforcing the narrative of relentless AI demand and a fresh wave of hyperscaler spending.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stress. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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