tenterhook
noun
ten·ter·hook
ˈten-tər-ˌhu̇k 
: a sharp hooked nail used especially for fastening cloth on a tenter
Examples of tenterhook in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of leaving an audience on tenterhooks, we’re left only to shrug.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2023
There's a tentative deal on the debt ceiling, but the markets are still on tenterhooks.
—WSJ, 30 May 2023
The same core technologies that allow a Silicon Valley software developer to move to Colorado and work from a mountain retreat keep Starbucks baristas and home health care workers on tenterhooks.
—Fred Turner, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2023
But Europe is set to remain on tenterhooks through the winter, with surging prices ravaging its economies.
—Elena Mazneva, Bloomberg.com, 2 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tenterhook 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2023
There's a tentative deal on the debt ceiling, but the markets are still on tenterhooks.
—WSJ, 30 May 2023
The same core technologies that allow a Silicon Valley software developer to move to Colorado and work from a mountain retreat keep Starbucks baristas and home health care workers on tenterhooks.
—Fred Turner, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2023
But Europe is set to remain on tenterhooks through the winter, with surging prices ravaging its economies.
—Elena Mazneva, Bloomberg.com, 2 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tenterhook
Articles Related to tenterhook
Dictionary Entries Near tenterhook
Cite this Entry
“Tenterhook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenterhook. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share