1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
That scene was so tense, and seeing Maddie stop her was fantastic.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2025
Markham Heid, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The unidentified caseworker was described in court documents as having his eyes bulging, drooling and his arm muscles tensing during the attack.
—Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense 
Adjective
The big picture: Trump, who had a tense relationship with the Kennedy Center in his first term, now appears to be taking control of the art institution and removing adversaries from its board.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
That scene was so tense, and seeing Maddie stop her was fantastic.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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
The unidentified caseworker was described in court documents as having his eyes bulging, drooling and his arm muscles tensing during the attack.
—Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
-
Extending safety Kyle Hamilton is likely a top priority for the Ravens' front office, but Hamilton isn't too worried about his contract.—
Brian Wacker,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2025
-
That’s a lot of CO2, something airlines are increasingly worried about.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Bochner began working in the wake of Abstract Expressionism, whose emphasis on artistic genius, painterly excellence, and formalism left many of his generation feeling uneasy.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
This has posed a problem for the Kremlin, which does not want to be seen clamping down on those who are essentially patriots but may be uneasy with warts-and-all accounts of Russian battlefield setbacks.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Either one of these increases could significantly curtail an endowment's ability to make future investments, and even the threat may cause endowment managers to hold their wallets tighter.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Because of the ferrets’ long, slim shape and the necessity of not making the collars too tight, the wily animals can slip out of the trackers, Boulerice said.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
But since then, federal stimulus money has dried up, costs have increased and budgets have tightened.—
Nick Coltrain,
The Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2025
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Once again, the majority of doc filmmakers were struggling, and budgets tightened.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Atop all this, Floria is charged with supervising nervous, error-prone student nurse Amelie (Selma) — tempers fray as precious time runs out.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
-
In the final round, a nervous Castle missed his first four dunk attempts for his first dunk of the round, before finishing with pizzaz on a between-the-legs up-and-under one-handed flush.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But even for Ye, his abrupt public embrace of antisemitism and counterintuitive right-wing political rhetoric, resulting in his bringing avowed white nationalist Nick Fuentes to dine with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, has been disturbing.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
7 Feb. 2025
-
During the investigation, other facility staff showed deputies a disturbing video that was sent to them in a group chat from Rice.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Two years later, the production version was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, looking almost identical to the initial vision — its taut, clean lines and aggressive proportions still every bit worthy of a concept car dream.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2025
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Their leading scorer sidelined by an ankle injury, their offense having gone cold, their defense reeling, their ability to make free throws having failed them, the Bruins pulled out a taut 82-76 victory over USC thanks to some heroics from Sebastian Mack.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Socially anxious and snobby, Victoria is dedicated to keeping her three children on the same affluent life path she's followed.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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That is a disconcerting, even chilling prospect for sources in the news division, who see the legendary house of Murrow and Cronkite caught in the middle as controlling Paramount Global shareholder Shari Redstone is anxious to close the transaction.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to tense
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Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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