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
Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Boy Meets World alum Maitland Ward opened up about her recent reunion with former costar Danielle Fishel, which resulted in a tense exchange on the latter’s podcast.
—Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 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
Whether the order expresses animus against trans people sparked a tense back-and-forth between Justice Department attorney Jason C. Lynch and U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes during a preliminary hearing in the lawsuit last week.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Boy Meets World alum Maitland Ward opened up about her recent reunion with former costar Danielle Fishel, which resulted in a tense exchange on the latter’s podcast.
—Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 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
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Safety concerns Residents were also worried about the safety of the gravel roads for horses.—
Emma Hall,
Sacramento Bee,
1 Mar. 2025
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Given his fake news rhetoric, Trump is certainly not worried about media reports, traditionally a strong external check on presidential power.—
Sergei Klebnikov,
Forbes,
1 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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Based on the Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture Of The Gods), the story follows a demon child raised by humans, who forms an uneasy alliance with the dragon prince, Ao Bing, in an epic battle to protect their clans.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
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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Few films have ever induced such immense tonal whiplash while exhibiting such tight formal control over their transformations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some Trump advisers were nervous the deal might go south before the ceremonial signing, but felt confident by the time Mr. Trump greeted Zelenskyy.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2025
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At the premiere of that film, Brothers At War, in 2009, Joe was nervous.—
Eileen Finan,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices is disturbing.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
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These findings should be deeply disturbing to Western policymakers, for at least two reasons.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent is a taut re-creation of a real event that took place during the Bosnian War, which has unfortunate parallels to our own trajectory.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Along with director Edward Berger, Peter Straughan’s taut adaptation approaches the material with intimacy or big bold brushstrokes as required, crafting juicy roles for one of the year’s most outstanding ensembles.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While many companies rapidly integrate AI, this data reveals a growing disconnect: employees are increasingly anxious about its impact.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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That is Europe’s most fundamental demand of Trump; the continent is intensely anxious about a pro-Moscow deal being forced on Zelensky.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As Jeffrey’s amateur investigation spirals deeper into danger, he’s forced to confront the unsettling coexistence of idyllic suburban life and brutal violence lurking beneath the surface.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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The activist, who boasts 1,100,000 followers on Instagram, wasted no time firing back at the unsettling allegations.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to tense
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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