as in pressure
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
under a lot of tension right now about her decision not to go to college
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Recent Examples of tension
Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
By the fall, much of the tension had simmered down.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Will tension between hawks and doves be the defining characteristic of Juntos going forward?
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for tension 
Noun
Across the affected areas of Turkey, more than 650,000 housing units were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the earthquakes, and tensions quickly escalated between newly homeless Syrians and Turks.
—Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
By the fall, much of the tension had simmered down.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022
Will tension between hawks and doves be the defining characteristic of Juntos going forward?
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for tension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tension
Noun
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The pressure campaign forced Johnson back to the drawing table.—
Miranda Nazzaro,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2025
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With Tesla’s eye-watering valuation, it is priced for perfection, leaving little room for error as deliveries faces increasing pressure.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Key Ingredients: Chantecaille’s mask is enriched with plant stem cells, four peptides, tensing agents, and nourishers to smooth and lift the skin.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2025
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Vanderbilt speech pathologist Jennifer Muckala added that Williams-Paisley’s muscles had been tensing up to compensate for her vocal cords.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
All issues the Dodgers failed to effectively address until the stress of deadline season.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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Unfortunately, new research from Intuit reveals this stark truth: 61% of Black Americans aged 18-35 are grappling with intense financial stress, a number that exposes the deep economic challenges facing our community.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
24 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
Noun
-
The bird flu strain appeared in the U.S. in late 2021.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
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Image Adding to the strain was a sharp decline in housing construction across Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove up prices for building materials and energy.—
Liz Alderman,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tension
Cite this Entry
“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tension. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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