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
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
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
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
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
During a ten-minute break, Heidi was worried.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Midwest The Upper Midwest is the only area that has some potential for minor travel delays, but the Farmer’s Almanac isn’t too worried.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 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
-
That confusion is further reflected by the manic hyper-subjectivity of Bronstein’s filmmaking, which boxes Linda into a close-up so tight that everything around her — especially her unnamed daughter, who almost never appears on screen — might as well be a disembodied echo of her own anxiety.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Like Lawrence, Sam Darnold isn’t squeamish about passing into tight windows or risking an INT blemish.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
10 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
-
White, who works as a bartender in Malibu, said the connection was especially disturbing, FOX 11 reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The allegations against this individual are disturbing and completely contrary to the values and mission of this department.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
9 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
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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
-
Yair's release in February 2025 brought relief to the family, but left them deeply anxious for Eitan.—
Itay Stern,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
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Limburg said the program is designed to reach people who have not been screened because of lack of medical access or transportation barriers − as well as those who are anxious or fearful over getting a colonoscopy.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With him are other notorious killers like Charles Manson and Ed Kemper, a moment creator Ryan Murphy said reflects the far-reaching and unsettling influence Gein’s crimes had on society.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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This time around, while Chambers remains turned away, Teasdale crouches with an unsettling smile and long fingernails, conjuring a skin-crawling suspense.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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