1
as in sensitive
easily injured without careful handling
a tender wound tender plants that cannot take the cold tender pride that got bruised when his girlfriend dumped him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in affectionate
feeling or showing love
a tender embrace between father and daughter
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3
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
an especially tender teacher who loves having kids with special educational needs in her class
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4
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
a very tender child who always seems to be sick
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5
as in gentle
not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
his tender comments on how to improve her writing style were gratefully received
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as in cash
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
money from that board game is not legal tender and can't be exchanged for goods or services
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as in to offer
to put before another for acceptance or consideration
the coach tendered his resignation and started a new career as a physical therapist
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as in kindness
sympathetic concern for the well-being of others
volunteers at the shelter tended to all the animals in their care with great tenderness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tender
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Once the lentils are tender, taste and adjust the sauce for seasoning with pepper.
—Virginia Willis, AJC.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Like any good explorer, the yacht can also hold two tenders and a chopper.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2026
Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026
Hlavaj has been so bad in Iowa that the Wild could consider not tendering him a qualifying offer after this season.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026
Though different, the same tenderness shows in the father and son relationship.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tender
Adjective
Your 5th House of Joy warms as passionate Mars moves through it, sextiling tender Chiron in your 7th House of Alliances and encouraging playful healing.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Once the lentils are tender, taste and adjust the sauce for seasoning with pepper.
—Virginia Willis, AJC.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
The deadline for teams to place franchise or transition tenders is March 3, a week before the negotiation period (March 9).
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Like any good explorer, the yacht can also hold two tenders and a chopper.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
The post includes a copy of the letter Sanders tendered to Kentucky State Police eight days earlier, informing the agency of his office's decision not to prosecute any of the officers.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026
Hlavaj has been so bad in Iowa that the Wild could consider not tendering him a qualifying offer after this season.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
Each bite delivers juicy tenderness, complemented by the crisp snap of thick-cut bacon and the creamy richness of a buttermilk ranch developed exclusively for the chain.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026
Though different, the same tenderness shows in the father and son relationship.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tender
Adjective
-
Calming Medicinal Botanicals Korean insiders know that soothing ingredients such as mugwort extract and Centella asiatica (commonly referred to as cica) still reign supreme in K-Beauty to help treat inflamed or sensitive skin.—
Charlotte Cho,
Allure,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That insight, relayed to Israeli counterparts, accelerated the timeline for a strike to capitalize on the opportunity, the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, told CBS News.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Aside from the 43rd president’s penchant for surfacing mostly for official events — joking in an affectionate and hilarious manner with Michelle Obama — Bush’s taciturn post-presidency cuts a striking contrast with the two men who bracketed his tenure.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
But after a perfunctory squeeze, her father lays his head on her shoulder in a gesture of affectionate, put-on penitence.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump’s braggadocio State of the Union message about our surging economy and his compassionate ICE raids was the icing on the Circassian cake.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For nearly 90 years, their teams have provided compassionate and talented care.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Playa Cerritos offers both a gentle beach break for beginners and a more adventurous rocky point break for experts.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Jarred beans maintain a firmer texture, since the glass allows for a gentler cooking and cooling process.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The family is covering the basic cost of testing materials, but the time spent analyzing the soil has been offered in kind.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Purchased more than 4,000 times in the past month, the frames contain real glass that offers protection from scratches.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nerves about tech are fragile, and that has left the S&P 500 trading sideways.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Alna’s thin and fragile skeleton was so well preserved that the researchers were able to conduct histological examination, studying microscopic bone structures.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Giving your all to others has left your loving cup empty.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Friends of Wendy and Gary Spohr filed one after another before Judge Garen Horst to describe a loving couple who thrived on adventure and travel, whether skiing their beloved Sierra or diving in the waters of the South Pacific, but whose lives were cut down out of Serafini’s greed.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tender. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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