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
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 tense
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
With two minutes left in the game, and the Knicks trailing by one point, the mood at Standings is tense — but that’s nothing new for the team or this crowd.
—Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 4 June 2026
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
While biting, their jaw muscles tensed to squeeze venom into their meal.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
This petition must be placed within a tense French context, after several months of virulent criticism aimed at cinema.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
With two minutes left in the game, and the Knicks trailing by one point, the mood at Standings is tense — but that’s nothing new for the team or this crowd.
—Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 4 June 2026
Verb
Everyone in the barber shop flinched at the sound and tensed their shoulders.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
The officer took her to the ground and then tried cuffing Tejeras, who tensed up so much, the officer’s body camera was knocked to the ground, according to the report.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
While biting, their jaw muscles tensed to squeeze venom into their meal.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
Kyoto, Japan — Nancy Higginbotham wasn’t worried when her 20-year-old son got on a train by himself during their family vacation in Japan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Farmers are now worried the beef industry could be on the fritz for a while.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Until these vexing unknowns are figured out, AI for mental health will be in an uneasy position and subject to strident criticisms and concerns.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Other Western media outlets, meanwhile, are growing more uneasy about what possible interviews with Lai could mean for their presence in China, The Associated Press reported.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Long an astute observer of discovery and rediscovery, whether the subject is a city or herself, Sante—having emerged from a tight circle of luminaries including Jim Jarmusch, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Nan Goldin—is now on the precipice of a second artistic renaissance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic?—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The morning of June 6, Mellor was back at Boston Logan airport for another trip to Havana, at a time when the United States is trying to tighten economic strings to choke Cuba’s government into change, and the country faces a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
The law aimed to tighten pretrial release programs and secure public safety after a man stabbed Zarutska to death, unprovoked.—
Julia Coin
June 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The rules were tightened in 2012, when the club constitution was changed to introduce the 20-year membership requirement and the budget guarantee backed by Spanish banks.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The airline tightened its policy for plus-size customers in January, making the purchase of a second seat a requirement rather than a recommendation for guests who cannot sit safely in a single seat.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Spinella shucks off sentimentality, always showing us Con’s offhand humor and sometimes nervous, defensive rambling.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
Companies start to get nervous when the percentage of shareholders blessing their pay plans dips well below the average, which is slightly above 90%, said Elizabeth Bieber, partner at the law firm Freshfields who leads shareholder engagement.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
This approach to archival material thus wrestles with a disturbing present in which family dispossession is both normalized and pathologized in the media every single day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The report, released Thursday, details disturbing accounts from several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The dry version is taut, floral and mineral, all apple and meadow flower over a saline core.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
But on last week’s 60 Minutes interview, Nolan, a taut, cerebral presence on TV, failed somewhat to create excitement for his new film The Odyssey, its basic plot sounding vaguely reminiscent of a college extension class – one emblazoned by Imax.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
