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
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Extended élevage allows tannins to gain longer-chain molecules, lending elegance and silkiness while maintaining the wine’s mineral tension.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 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
The tension is reminiscent of another playing surface debate, one that’s raged for years in the world’s richest sports league.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Extended élevage allows tannins to gain longer-chain molecules, lending elegance and silkiness while maintaining the wine’s mineral tension.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 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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Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Iran may have positioned the Houthis as a regional player that can exert pressure on Iran’s neighbors, but the Houthis have always put their own interests first.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Everyone in the barber shop flinched at the sound and tensed their shoulders.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
-
Realistic math eases shared stress.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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Tiisetso’s view The Budget did the sensible thing by publishing downside scenarios and stress-testing the numbers.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Set in 1970s America, as television tightens its grip on American culture, veteran anchorman Howard Beale unravels live on air.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
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These stronger winds are a sign of a tightening pressure gradient, which occurs as air pressure changes across the region.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fitting back into the scheme after his absence, James focused on setting screens for the short-handed frontcourt that was without Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain).—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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The strain of an historically bad season can be seen in this squad.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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