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
Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
With the stress of the holidays, along with rising food prices and food benefits in peril, retailers are rolling out affordable Thanksgiving meal bundles to help ease the financial burden.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Nov. 2025
NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Ordering takeaway or getting a catering service is also an option if the thought of cooking stresses you out.
—Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stress
Noun
This spring, following a series of equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport's control facility, some air traffic control operators took time off to recover from the stress, leading to a spike in delays and cancellations at that airport.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
With the stress of the holidays, along with rising food prices and food benefits in peril, retailers are rolling out affordable Thanksgiving meal bundles to help ease the financial burden.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
Notably, Mamdani stressed during his campaign that his platform differs from that of the DSA, and has taken a more moderate stance on issues like eliminating misdemeanor offenses and defunding the police.
—NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Ordering takeaway or getting a catering service is also an option if the thought of cooking stresses you out.
—Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stress
Noun
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For those who do know him, the optics are less about political pressure and more about simple, unadulterated pride.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Mexico enters the 2026 World Cup with the excitement and pressure of co-hosting the tournament, eager to finally break its long-standing barrier of reaching the Round of 16.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The arresting officer belongs to the Atlanta Police Department’s controversial Crime Suppression Unit—a group known for its aggressive tactics and emphasis on high arrest numbers rather than genuine public safety.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
8 Nov. 2025
-
That focus explains the emphasis on speed, balance, and extreme agility in its public demonstrations.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Punk music and its spirit clearly worried the Soviet rulers.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
-
For voters worried about health-insurance coverage or the future of research in the United States, scientists, health-care workers, and public-health experts may have particular appeal right now, Shields told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In response, the White House is planning to adjust its messaging strategy to focus on affordability to try to win over voters who are worried about the high cost of living with plans to emphasize new tax breaks and show progress on fighting inflation.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Texas native explained that Cruise emphasized the physical reality of stuntwork and the importance of discipline.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Their decision has highlighted deep divisions over legislative priorities and political strategy as lawmakers scramble to resolve the shutdown and address its nationwide consequences.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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The team highlighted that perovskite materials remain vulnerable to moisture, oxygen, ultraviolet light, and temperature fluctuations, all of which degrade performance over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Duffy and other aviation officials have said the restrictions are necessary to ensure safety while air traffic controllers are understaffed, a strain exacerbated by the shutdown.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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While federal officials insist the system remains safe, the controllers responsible for keeping it that way say the strain is showing.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The main focus of the episode, of course, is following up on the Ken Tucker lead from Steven Droyco.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Body Book for Older Girls, food, nutrition, exercise, and weight are a major focus from the very first page.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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The initiative is structured around three sequential and mutually reinforcing workstreams that aim to accelerate lowering emissions, boosting efficiency and building long-term resilience.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stress. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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