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
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Her hands weren't so tense, the tendons were less prominent.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
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
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
Then there was the fact that Carolyn’s mother, Ann Messina Freeman (played by Constance Zimmer), reportedly had her doubts ahead of the wedding and voiced them in a tense rehearsal dinner speech the night before the big day.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Her hands weren't so tense, the tendons were less prominent.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Studios in collaboration with Banijay’s DLO Producciones, tracks the rise of the founding leader of Los Miami, a gang which controlled Madrid’s insatiable ‘90s drug business, tensed by sudden explosive violence, and the drug-lord’s multiple near-death experiences.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
The culling perfectly played into ongoing fears that AI automation is coming for white-collar jobs, a major job market and economic disruption that workers are becoming increasingly worried about — and which clearly has execs salivating.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
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But Boone wasn’t too worried about the right-hander’s velocity in early February.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many travelers feel 'uneasy' about going abroad.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The United States and Israel’s widening war with Iran has stricken an already uneasy global economy with a new bout of uncertainty.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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However, the buzz of the lobby and tight spaces throughout could make getting around the hotel a bit straining for those who require accessibility assistance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
While the Heat are playing in a tight battle for postseason seeding, the Wizards continue in their race to the bottom, in a bid to firm up their lottery odds.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The across-the-board beat may help settle a nervous investor base, at least for the time being, as Oracle’s results and backlog point to a continuing surge in demand for AI infrastructure.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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Projections by Paramount’s management team that at least $6 billion in cost savings will result from the merger have made all of Hollywood nervous, but especially the workforce at WBD.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was even more disturbing.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
That would be a particularly disturbing piece of real hate mail Kubrin received late last year after she was quoted in a news story about immigration and crime.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her joints ached, and her legs were frequently taut with fluid.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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Run is a taut thriller that feels like an elevated Lifetime movie in all the right ways.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The film is at its best building tension and showing us just how anxious life is under dictatorial rule.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The anxious impatience of being en route has permeated cootie catcher’s music since their earliest releases in 2021.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General released an unsettling report about spending from the mayor’s office over a three-and-a-half-year period (July 2022 through November 2025).—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
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Key themes in her work include environmental catastrophe, belief, and the strange and unsettling aspects of human life.—
Joy Williams,
The Dial,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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