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
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Recent Examples of tense
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
But the relationship between Detroit and Silicon Valley can be a tense one.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
The dangers of Andrius’ own secret investigation loom large in their tense conversation, as do a potential scandal and the question of reputation.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
But the relationship between Detroit and Silicon Valley can be a tense one.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
This can lead your soft tissues to sag into those gaps, causing your muscles to tense up in compensation.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
Residents of Cranbourne Hall Residential Park, the nearest neighborhood, are worried that the new home will be less private than the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Haseebullah also is worried about the Cybertrucks’ surveillance abilities that the public may not be unaware of, and that the fleet might give Tesla access to police data.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Across its run, The Witcher has traced the uneasy bond between Geralt of Rivia (Liam Hemsworth), the monster hunter bound by destiny; Ciri (Freya Allan), the princess whose power could save or destroy worlds; and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), the sorceress torn between ambition and love.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Helen and Menelaus’s reunion as uneasy and sometimes tearful, after years of estrangement.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s something rare about Swain, who is a young brainiac, but one who has built his business the old-fashioned, pre-quant-trading and Excel models Wall Street way, via charm offensives that weave webs of tight relationships few rivals can match.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Money was tight, especially when Smith’s father, who worked as a machinist after returning from World War II, was on strike.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The dogs' job on marathon day will be to calm race-day jitters at the starting line, where runners can feel overwhelmed or nervous about the trek ahead.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
There was a lot of nervous smiling.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With 31 percent of adults and 80 percent of adolescents not meeting recommended levels of physical activity, researchers have unveiled a disturbing glimpse of what the long-term impacts on our health and appearance could look like.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The film follows his lead, constructing a near-relentless study of misery that culminates in a disturbing finale.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When considering his crimes or getting ready to commit another, Chernus’s eyes grow cold, his voice deep and sharp, his body language more taut and authoritative.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
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Its taut construction and metal hardware trace directly back to Demeulemeester’s early experiments with tension and release — the interplay that shaped her gothic romanticism and cemented her place in Antwerp’s avant-garde.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Redirect their attention If your dog is anxious and barking in a panic, your first step is to remove them from the trigger.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Late nights and anxious supplications.—
Steve Rushin,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Rather, the Lamb baby is literally the face of a lamb and the body of a human child, which is unsettling in a wholly novel way.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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The problem is that among the general public, the optics are unsettling.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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