1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
If the last interaction with someone was tense, even a neutral question can feel terse.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2025
Polished in its visuals but tensed from the get-go by a sinister electronic score, melding procedural and a shockingly incomprehensible reality, the suspense thriller builds as a potent mixture where the past also weighs heavily, in personal, historical and fantasy terms.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
The cross examination was short and to the point with this expert witness — a change of pace from tense cross with the digital forensic witness Shanon Burgess the previous two days.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
If the last interaction with someone was tense, even a neutral question can feel terse.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
Once in a while, a steer will break loose, causing the presenters to tense up.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2025
Polished in its visuals but tensed from the get-go by a sinister electronic score, melding procedural and a shockingly incomprehensible reality, the suspense thriller builds as a potent mixture where the past also weighs heavily, in personal, historical and fantasy terms.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
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However, because the pool was shallow, Lisberg was less worried.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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While Herzig is hoping to win a million dollars, his guests are all worried about their own various fantasy teams, mostly competing for a few hundred bucks.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Today, hydrogen bombs have replaced atom bombs in most arsenals, creating a world of uneasy standoffs among nuclear foes.—
William J. Broad,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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With the rage virus still raging, a group of survivors, including a husband and wife played by Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, lives in uneasy isolation on a fortified island — until one of them crosses the causeway into whatever’s left of the mainland.—
Greg Braxton,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Autonomous vehicle technology has been hard to commercialize, with tight regulations and heavy investments forcing many companies to give up.—
Akash Sriram,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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But there are also plenty of tight binary systems, where the stars orbit each other at a radius that would place them both comfortably inside our Solar System.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The price of gold tends to move when markets get nervous – and so does the gold.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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That said, one moment in the final episode did make Brashear nervous.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Almost 60 years later, with these two worlds living side by side, Creede is a taut microcosm of current national divisions.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
13 May 2025
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Who would tap a director unproven on a feature level to direct a taut action thriller movie with a $150 million budget?—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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Both men were deeply anxious, in damage control mode.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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One of the most unsettling moments at UFC 315 occurred when Bruno Silva left the Octagon after suffering a knockout loss to Marc-Andre Barriault on the early prelims of the fight card.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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His Emilio is the protagonist and, although all the characters are given a shot at Death, Jacobs as Emilio is the most unsettling.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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