1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a tense relationship existed between the two teachers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tight
stretched with little or no give
a tense rope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tense
Obed Manuel, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Curiously, these moments feel luxurious rather than tense.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
The actions have led to tense standoffs between protestors and federal agents.
—Obed Manuel, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Curiously, these moments feel luxurious rather than tense.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
But farmers are worried that time is quickly running out to reach a deal in time to sell any of this year’s crop to their biggest customer.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The worried mom immediately booked a flight from Virginia to Colorado, which was an agonizing trip.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, when her mom asks if Paul and his kids can come on the birthday trip, the woman feels uneasy.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The loss of data arrived during an uneasy period for policymakers.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
So Rizza skipped the presentation format of the past in favor of a tight selection of one-on-one appointments, mostly with retailers.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
-
And results have largely been mixed since Carson Wentz has taken over as the starter, winning a 48-10 blowout over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 and then losing a tight game in Ireland against the Pittsburgh Steelers.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In recent weeks, the White House has moved to tighten the rules around the visa, including a $100,000 fee for new applications, while raising wage expectations and the skill levels immigrants should have.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The pants come with super-wide legs and an elastic drawstring waistband that can be loosened or tightened depending on your preference.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Now, Darvish will get to pitch in front of a stadium of screaming, hopeful, nervous Cubs fans.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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If presidents are stars on the stage of world history, vice presidents are nervous understudies hidden away behind the scenes.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Oct. 2025
-
There were masks and body suits made of female skin, along with human skulls for soup bowls and other disturbing oddities.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The action is taut, the stakes are clear, and Kirk never misses a chance to remind us that all of these are just regular people who’ve crossed paths in a dark place.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In one of the film’s tautest sequences, they’re caught swimming in a neighbor’s pool by a caretaker (Damien Bonnard), and Sana must decide whether to pay off the man to keep his silence.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Arizonan's are growing anxious as a deal for the federal government shutdown extends into its fourth day.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Amazon’s October Prime Day is days away, but for anxious shoppers who want to get a head start on saving, there are already plenty of deals to score.—
Shalwah Evans,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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