as in tightening
to draw tight
he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck
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Recent Examples of tensing
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
—
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
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
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
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
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Social media companies have already put in place child safety measures, such as new algorithms, in response to tightening regulations, including by Britain.—
Paul Sandle,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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The Bank of Japan raised rates to their highest level in more than 30 years, one of a string of major central banks tightening monetary policy in part because the Iran war is fueling inflation risks worldwide.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tensing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensing. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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