1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tense
Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
With every heart-in-mouth die roll, and only a certain number of turns to play with until your pursuer finds you, this is a brilliantly tense sci-fi RPG.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Eileen Finan, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
For example, progressive muscle relaxation therapy—an intervention that involves systematically tensing and then relaxing the body’s muscles—was found to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer, according to research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
—Markham Heid, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tense
Adjective
This makes the first half of the film tense, and an interesting introspection of the character’s psyche in a haunted house-style situation — the true nature of which takes a while to become clear.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
With every heart-in-mouth die roll, and only a certain number of turns to play with until your pursuer finds you, this is a brilliantly tense sci-fi RPG.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
Her muscles had been tensing up to compensate for her vocal cord.
—Eileen Finan, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
For example, progressive muscle relaxation therapy—an intervention that involves systematically tensing and then relaxing the body’s muscles—was found to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer, according to research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
—Markham Heid, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
About 47 million people faced an enhanced to moderate severe storm threat from Madison, Wis., to Birmingham, Ala. Forecasters grew increasingly worried that intense thunderstorms farther south will likely bring an even greater tornado threat Saturday.—
Sean Murphy and Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
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Citi, which went to $430 a share from $490, is worried about increasing competition and slowing growth.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The film follows Ne Zha, a demon child raised by humans, who must embark on a perilous quest to obtain an elixir to restore the body of his uneasy ally, the dragon prince Ao Bing.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
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Some medical and public-health institutions have settled into an uneasy détente with smoking alternatives.—
Carrie Battan,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This prevents dormant accounts with unlimited access from becoming potential security risks over a period of time, ensuring tighter control over permissions.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Biosecurity measures are so tight for Wayne-Sanderson Farms, our CBS News cameras were not allowed inside a farm or facility.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yes, corporate budgets are tightening, but cutting employee benefits is a mistake that will ultimately harm everyone as well as the bottom line.—
Danaya Wilson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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This came despite President Joe Biden signing his own executive order in 2021 to tighten enforcement by fining hospitals that did not comply.—
Marquise Francis,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump won't be on the ballot again, but this week had to make a lot of Republicans who will be very nervous.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Mitch [Hurwitz, the show creator] was very nervous.—
Aaron Couch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While no human-affecting viruses have been revived yet, the fact that ancient microbes can persist in a viable state raises a disturbing possibility: what else is hidden in the deep freeze, waiting to wake up?—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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The possibility of losing Miami Beach's only art house cinema is disturbing to Tabsch, a filmmaker whose 2018 documentary The Last Resort, was about Miami Beach's Jewish community in the 1970s.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Black Bag, a taut spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, is an argument for the filmmaker’s ruthless efficiency.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2025
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Dead City is a taut, focused follow-up to The Walking Dead that pares down the franchise’s ensemble, honing in on two of its most memorable supporting characters.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Jacob Tremblay plays Winston's anxious stepson Wade.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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In a time when many workers are anxious about what AI means for their roles, leaders who speak to both the potential and the limits of AI are earning deeper trust and keeping their teams engaged.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to tense
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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