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
Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Hong Kong — China has banned exports of some rare earth elements and other items to Japan that could be used for military purposes, straining already tense relations between the two countries following the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Every muscle in my body was tensed, waiting for something, anything to happen.
—Sarah Chamberlain, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
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
Machado was rescued from Venezuela in a tense and secret operation in December and taken to Norway to reunite with her family and collect her Nobel Prize.
—Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Hong Kong — China has banned exports of some rare earth elements and other items to Japan that could be used for military purposes, straining already tense relations between the two countries following the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
My skin felt dirty, and my stomach tensed with fear.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Every muscle in my body was tensed, waiting for something, anything to happen.
—Sarah Chamberlain, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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Some suggested re-purposing the building, while some homeowners are worried about what new condos would mean for their privacy.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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But before the multi-billion-dollar overhaul of the highway, the city had 900 parking spaces in the space under the hulking highway, and some worried eliminating all parking under I-4 would drive away visitors.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Neighbors fear rising violence Residents said the shooting has left them uneasy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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But by evening, an uneasy calm had settled across the city.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Loveland caught eight passes for 137 yards for the Bears, who had closed the regular season with tight losses to San Francisco and Detroit.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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As temperatures drop and humidity plummets, the skin’s natural moisture levels decline faster, fine lines look more pronounced, and that tight, uncomfortable feeling can become a near-daily occurrence.—
Colleen Sullivan,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From a portable power bank to keep your phone charged to noise-canceling headphones that will drown out stressful sounds, these travel accessories will help nervous fliers and frequent travelers alike have easier journeys.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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But now there's a new robo-tech in town, and my Roadie 3 is looking very nervous indeed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What ensues is a brilliantly taut ensemble piece.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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The taut scenes provide the actors with a playing field to shine individually in heated arguments, sobering moments of empathy and painfully honest talks about what comes after a life-altering event.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In Clayton’s and Josephson’s hands, though, the fawn response becomes something more pliable, less a sign of acute threat than a broadly anxious orientation to the world.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Six-year-old Lucas Kincaid of Molalla, Oregon stood with his family to take a final peek in the hulking main telescope beneath the dome in anxious anticipation, snug in his furry hooded jacket like a hibernating bear cub about to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The unsettling moment was captured on video by a bystander.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Kurt's key takeaways Robots that can feel pain may sound unsettling at first.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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