on tenterhooks

phrase

Definition of on tenterhooksnext
as in nervous
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty He's been on tenterhooks in anticipation of his acceptance letter.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for on tenterhooks
on edge
Phrase
  • Anthropic may also hope this could help its frontier models get some extra competitive edge as software developers and other users begin exploring running cheaper, smaller, or open-weight models on their own hardware or on edge devices.
    — Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Bret is too on edge to play this scene with any sort of chill.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of on edge
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.

Browse Nearby Words

on-target
on tenterhooks
on the alert
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On tenterhooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20tenterhooks. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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