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
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
At a missile-defense base in Fort Greely, Alaska, Major Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos) steps outside for a tense phone call, presumably with his significant other.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Muscles get tensed and strained.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
Pastor Turner’s Sunday (October 12) sermon centered on seeing the divine in the most improbable and unlikely relationships—a message that resonated amid the city’s tense atmosphere.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
At a missile-defense base in Fort Greely, Alaska, Major Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos) steps outside for a tense phone call, presumably with his significant other.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Muscles get tensed and strained.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
Emma Donoghue’s Room, which continues to haunt worried parents everywhere?—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
There also are those worried about player and staff safety as rowdy revelers stomp onto the field.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This uneasy detente between Matty and Olympia drives much of the rest of this episode’s plot.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Wichita police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman reportedly taken by force early Sunday morning — an incident that has left neighbors uneasy.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski’s excellent performance from the mound – striking out nine, a Milwaukee rookie postseason record – ensured that Thursday’s game was a tight affair through five innings, but LA took the lead in the sixth on Tommy Edman’s RBI single.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Thibodeau was known for utilizing a tight rotation and playing his guys for extended minutes.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Each new round of tariffs rattles markets and makes investors more nervous about what the White House might do next.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
When Wright first reached out to Hall, Hall was nervous about working with the shelter.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
What started as a search for wrapping paper led to a disturbing discovery that left her questioning her relationship with her mother.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Martin, who is fifty-four, is the most commercially successful songwriter of the twenty-first century; his work is meticulous and precise, and his songs are taut, balanced, unyielding.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Their 105mm rise kept proportion taut, while the cutout ankle strap echoed the house’s ongoing exploration of tactile hardware — recently updated with T-Latch sandals and tortoiseshell-heel variations, as seen on Kylie Jenner walking into the show.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hailey, usually the more anxious one, was struck when her typically calm husband brought it up first.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Volunteers became depressed, irritable, anxious, and withdrawn.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Those players must have experienced an extremely unsettling week between coach James Franklin’s abrupt dismissal and starting QB Drew Allar’s season-ending injury.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Witch-burning, frightening folklore, and centuries of war and bloodshed have imparted an unsettling ambience in destinations like Edinburgh.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share