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
as in tightening
to draw tight
he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tense
Staff, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots, Week 17 A rematch of a snowy, tense AFC championship game.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
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
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
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI's growing footprint in daily life.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots, Week 17 A rematch of a snowy, tense AFC championship game.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
Verb
Everyone in the barber shop flinched at the sound and tensed their shoulders.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
Reformers were worried that putting more money into the hands of local school districts, without oversight to ensure that it was being spent effectively, would lead to its diversion into administration and more generous union contracts rather than hands-on instruction for kids who needed it most.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
-
Yu said that, as China has strengthened its social safety net, people are less worried about having to rely on others.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
There, migrant labor, economic need and repressed desire collide, especially through his uneasy bond with Arvydas, a Czech co-worker whose open homophobia masks darker tensions.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
The landfill theory made some birding enthusiasts uneasy and prompted some authorities, locals and others to defend Ushuaia, a city of nearly 85,000 that draws tourists to its Antarctic cruise ships and abundant, watchworthy bird population.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But as the season has progressed and the pressure has increased, their margins of victory have become tighter.—
Dean Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Cornyn’s legislation comes as the four-term senator is locked in a tight GOP primary contest against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Dwindling enrollment tightened the budget by $89 million halfway through this school year when the purse was already $100 million thinner than last school year.—
Natalie La Roche Pietri,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
-
The best accommodations don’t last on the market for long, and by the time peak summer rolls around, availability tightens fast.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
But while consumers are showing signs of tightening their purse strings , that doesn’t mean the company’s bottom line is likely to come under considerable pressure, according to Citi’s Zaccone.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
-
House Bill 837 cut the statute of limitations for general negligence claims from four years to two, tightening the window to take action.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Altman seemed slightly nervous as the cross-examination got underway.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
-
Suddenly, and very publicly, Russian officials appeared nervous, afraid that their parade would be spoiled.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s something disturbing about watching these already commonplace delusions about ChatGPT — Your particular version has a soul!—
Vulture,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
-
But as dubious therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur the line between wellness and manipulation, Alexa begins uncovering the disturbing forces hidden beneath the retreat’s seductive façade.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dombrowski decided to retain Thomson after a taut, four-game series defeat to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers last October.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Shape dough into two taut balls.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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