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
Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022
The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2025
According to the outlet, this is a bid to ease tensions between him and his father.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tension
Noun
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
The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Verb
Fritz Durst, a sixth-generation farmer based in Yolo County, is no stranger to the tension between fishermen and farmers.
—Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2025
According to the outlet, this is a bid to ease tensions between him and his father.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tension
Noun
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Tina’s decision to leave the U.S. unfolded against the broader backdrop of mounting political pressure against immigration.—
Sam Wolson,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
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Advertisement Yet assuming Trump follows through with his own deadline, will the pressure tactics actually work to change Putin’s war calculus?—
Daniel DePetris,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Taylor Heinicke visibly tensed the moment the ball left his fingers.—
Devon Henderson,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
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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,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Chronic stress from the threat of separation can harm those children’s mental and physical health, according to Gutierrez.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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While national prices for electricity have stayed mostly stable after inflation adjustments, California offers a glimpse of what happens when infrastructure stress meets rising costs.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In late July, GOP Representatives Tom Tiffany and Andrew Clyde, of Wisconsin and Georgia respectively, introduced legislation to tighten restrictions on H-1B visa numbers, arguing that American talent should be prioritized over immigrants.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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White House efforts to tighten its grip on the Washington, D.C., police force are prompting pushback from the city’s leaders, escalating tensions as the Trump administration sought to compel Washington’s help with immigration enforcement.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The allegations by both Southeast Asian countries are putting strain on a ceasefire for which Cambodia—its army heavily outgunned by Thailand's much larger and better-equipped forces—has become one of the latests countries to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Miguel Vargas was a late scratch before an Aug. 2 game against the Los Angeles Angels because of a left oblique strain.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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