1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
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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
-
Economic data users like Algernon Austin, director for race and economic justice at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank, are worried about what changes may be coming to the sample size for the Current Population Survey, which produces the monthly employment data.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
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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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
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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
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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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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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
Adjective
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And to think that the ground is ever-changing, well, that's a bit unsettling.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2025
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Yes, some of the gross body-horror stuff is very unsettling, but that’s not enough to make this a good movie.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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