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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Example Sentences
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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
Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025
As well as the anthems, Oasis became as famous for the tension between the brothers.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 4 July 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
Part of that highlights a tension within megachurch culture.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025
As well as the anthems, Oasis became as famous for the tension between the brothers.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tension
Noun
-
Atlanta has clearly brought in personnel designed to push the pace on offense and applies intense perimeter pressure on defense.—
Kambui Bomani,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Trump is exerting significant pressure on holdouts to fall in line, but passage in the lower chamber is not guaranteed.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
As the faith leaders arrived and asked their group to take a knee and pray on the building’s steps, Department of Homeland Security officers trained pepper-ball guns on clergy members, and National Guard members tensed their riot shields.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
-
Chronic impacts of emotional abuse can include anxiety, depression, insomnia, binge drinking or substance abuse and muscle tension from flinching or tensing up, Patel says.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The three-, five- and seven-day programs are built around each guest’s hormonal stage and focus on nutrition, sleep, stress, movement and recovery.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
All of us will feel the economic ripple when emergency rooms are inundated, hospitals and nursing homes close under the stress, and pink slips get handed out to health care workers.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Even as immigration policies have been tightened and the number of asylum seekers in Europe has fallen, the long-term presence of migrants amid stagnating economies will continue to feed voter anger.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
11 July 2025
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More than three years into Putin’s unprovoked war on Ukraine, the Kremlin’s political vice is tightening again.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Wallner took off on the play and drew a throw to second from Cubs catcher Reese McGuire, which allowed Lewis, who has missed 49 games over two stints on the injured list because of a left hamstring strain, to race home and easily score.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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That's likely to cause increased strain on borrowers: Up to 1.8 million could default by July 2025, with millions more expected to follow by the fall.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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