tensing

present participle of tense
as in tightening
to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 tensing Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensing
tightening
Verb
  • Southwest Airlines is tightening its refund policy for plus-size passengers who purchase an extra seat.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Texas lawmakers left Austin late Wednesday night without passing a THC ban or tightening restrictions on the booming industry.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tensing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tensing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!