tensed

past tense of tense
as in tightened
to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tensed While biting, their jaw muscles tensed to squeeze venom into their meal. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025 My skin felt dirty, and my stomach tensed with fear. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 Fanning’s tensed, squirrelly performance comes to life in these spots, with Polly’s waning trust and fear of betrayal cluing into a wounded self-loathing that becomes the film’s best lasting impression. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025 Every muscle in my body was tensed, waiting for something, anything to happen. Sarah Chamberlain, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 Muscles get tensed and strained. Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025 The muffled, percussive sounds of the firing range could be heard through the walls, and my body tensed with every pop. Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensed
tightened
Verb
  • Earlier this month, China significantly tightened its restrictions on rare earth elements, which make up a key input in semiconductors found in an array of products from cars to home appliances.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The garment tightened at the waist while the top hung relatively loosely, and the midi-length column featured a thigh-high slit.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tensed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensed. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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