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
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
And the exchange, between married co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough and guest Donny Deutsch, grew tense.
—Harrison Chon-Walker, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2025
Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
And that lack of oxygen makes our muscles tense up and restricts blood flow.
—Marielle Segarra, NPR, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense 
Adjective
As the ostensible villain of Delmer Daves’s western classic, the outlaw Ben Wade who is being guarded and brought to justice by civilian rancher Dan Evans (Oscar-winner Van Heflin), Ford keeps peeling back layers of humanity, even as the two men enact a tense cat-and-mouse game.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
And the exchange, between married co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough and guest Donny Deutsch, grew tense.
—Harrison Chon-Walker, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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
And that lack of oxygen makes our muscles tense up and restricts blood flow.
—Marielle Segarra, NPR, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
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In the meantime, state and city health departments are worried about how the communications pause might affect their communities.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
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A number of men and women on Mitchell’s team were worried about their health and safety, the lawsuit says, so Mitchell raised the issue during the training sessions.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Add Vargas to the long list of Americans who have been uneasy about TikTok’s future.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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For all of their uneasy gazing and silent discernment, artful visages are a key element in the decor.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The promise of creating 100,000 new jobs is ambitious but raises significant questions in an already tight AI and data center labor market.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Even if this shirt came in only one color, managing editor Erin Agostinelli would still love it with its stretchy body-hugging tight fit that's almost like wearing a bodysuit but without the commitment.—
Emily Hochberg,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This trend may accelerate as funding tightens for standalone startups.—
Ilona Limonta-Volkova,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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Trump is also aiming for a redo on federal rules for tightening standards for tailpipe emissions and a waiver that allows California to adopt air-quality standards that are stricter than federal rules.—
Judith Kohler,
The Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Some parents are nervous to send their kids back to the center, given the air quality concerns and its proximity to the burn area.—
Kate Sequeira,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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Ellie is nervous, and so naturally, her dead lesbian aunt manifests as an unwanted spiritual gay guide.—
Sadie Collins,
Them,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This is a dark and disturbing script that, circa 1996, would have been better handled by Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher.—
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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Nakamura, the father, was interned along with his Japanese American family during WWII, a shameful and disturbing period in 20th-century American history that has never been fully acknowledged or dealt with on a national level.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement Like a taut earthquake fault that too often unbelts itself and cuts loose with repellent force, a deep lode of hate and racist one-upmanship undergirds Southern California.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
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But unlike explorations of this taut dynamic before it, Mangold’s film subtly grapples with what exactly this taking looks like.—
Katherine Singh,
refinery29.com,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For example, someone not willing to open up to you about certain aspects of their personal life can be interpreted as personal rejection, which may trigger defensive or anxious behaviors.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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More than a few have faced foreclosure, leaving owners anxious about the need to get tenants back in their buildings or find another use for the millions of unused square feet.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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