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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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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Few folks are worried about how the yard looks, but Travis Hogan has a keen interest in green grass in January.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2025
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But the more time Zuckerberg spends in Mar-a-Lago, the more Sam Altman and Tim Cook should be worried.—
Alex Heath,
The Verge,
12 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 team has introduced a new front-suspension design to try and make its car faster in tighter, slower turns.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
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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Putin has steadily tightened his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with the two leaders signing a defense pact when the Russian leader paid a visit to North Korea in June.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA TODAY,
12 Jan. 2025
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For the past four years, the Biden administration has tightened relations with allies but neglected diplomacy where it was most needed, with Russia and China.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But that didn’t stop Greenbaum from being a little nervous about screening the film for Harper and Will.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2025
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Though landing a recurring character is usually a good thing for an actor, Hilton was nervous about fans’ reception.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While the Eagles triumphed 22-10, advancing to the NFC Divisional Round, the victory was overshadowed by the disturbing exchange in the stands.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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The disturbing new figures are inching close to the same number of people — 1.5 million— who were internally displaced by Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake, which struck 15 years ago on Jan. 12, 2010.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 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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Beyond those under mandatory evacuation, many more, including many families and anxious pet owners, have left because of poor air quality or general wariness of the county’s precarious state.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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Interview Crush on the Cross: An Interview with Anthony Oliveira Jason Kirk The author of Dayspring discusses queerness, Christianity, and the anxious sense that history is over.—
Max Ufberg,
hazlitt.net,
10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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