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
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
Carnahan’s script introduces early the idea that Jackie was most likely killed by corrupt cops, which turns the entire scenario — a team of five holed up at the end of a street where the cartel appears to control every house — into a tense closed-circle mystery.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 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
David and Victoria Beckham are showing support for their son Cruz amid the tense situation with their eldest child, Brooklyn.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
Carnahan’s script introduces early the idea that Jackie was most likely killed by corrupt cops, which turns the entire scenario — a team of five holed up at the end of a street where the cartel appears to control every house — into a tense closed-circle mystery.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
My skin felt dirty, and my stomach tensed with fear.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 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
-
When Edmond LaFave missed two days of work in February 1975, a worried friend headed to his North Park home to check on him.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
His family was worried sick, and Jones said Johnson had stormed out of the home after an argument.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
End-to-end humanoid control Figure claims Helix 02 demonstrates a major step forward in humanoid autonomy by performing continuous, multi-minute tasks that require tight integration of locomotion, dexterity, and sensing.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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Metals from copper to aluminum have powered higher in the opening weeks of 2026, as global investors pile into industrial commodities in bets on tighter supply, a weaker US dollar, and Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While the money is flowing, state officials are still nervous.—
Miquéla V Thornton,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The atmosphere at the Emirates was nervous, too, and their next two opponents — Leeds (away) and Sunderland (home) — will give no quarter.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What ensues is a brilliantly taut ensemble piece.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The taut scenes provide the actors with a playing field to shine individually in heated arguments, sobering moments of empathy and painfully honest talks about what comes after a life-altering event.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Times of Troy survey After an anxious few weeks for Trojan fans, USC finally has its next defensive coordinator.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Its preliminary conclusions paint a stark and unsettling picture of Good’s final moments.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Upside Down itself could have begun seeping into the real world in unsettling ways.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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