as in pressure
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
under a lot of tension right now about her decision not to go to college
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Recent Examples of tension
Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Also called exercise loops, resistance bands are portable, inexpensive, and are available with varying amounts of tension, or resistance.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 20 Feb. 2026
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2022
The roof bars tension the whole tent nicely, pulling against the stakes, so there’s no slack in the walls and no sag in the roof.
—Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for tension
Noun
While tensions over Greenland have subsided for now, the infighting has seriously undercut the ability of the world’s biggest security alliance to deter adversaries.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Also called exercise loops, resistance bands are portable, inexpensive, and are available with varying amounts of tension, or resistance.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
In a lengthy chat with host Stephen Colbert, the director and actress spoke about everything from firing Shia LaBeouf to tension with star Florence Pugh to whether Harry Styles actually spit on Chris Pine.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2022
The roof bars tension the whole tent nicely, pulling against the stakes, so there’s no slack in the walls and no sag in the roof.
—Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for tension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tension
Noun
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The employee, a mother of two teen girls, warned about the filters and said the pressure on teen girls is intense.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Coach Rick Hirtensteiner said Young dealt with the pressure by just trying to have fun, and Sheffer, playing with his younger brother, Ryan, a starting shortstop, appeared to do just that Wednesday.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As temperature rises, these vibrations intensify, creating a more chaotic, more resistant barrier that paradoxically hardens the metal’s surface against high-speed stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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For thousands of years, the ginseng root has been used to treat myriad health issues, from respiratory problems and high blood pressure to chronic stress.—
PubSubHub User,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Facialist and skin care innovator Georgia Louise likens cryo facials to other tightening treatments like soft wave.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
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When force is applied in the driving direction, torque tightens or loosens a fastener.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was asked whether Austin Reaves, who had been on a restriction of about 25 minutes after returning from a 19-game absence because of a calf strain, would still be on a minutes restriction and whether Doncic would be available against the Clippers.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Giddey missed 19 of the last 23 games with a hamstring strain, and the Bulls went 6-13 without him.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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