on tenterhooks

phrase

Definition of on tenterhooksnext
as in nervous
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty He's been on tenterhooks in anticipation of his acceptance letter.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of on tenterhooks In practice, however, most inmates are left on tenterhooks in solitary confinement for years — and sometimes decades — with sometimes severe consequences for their mental health. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Readers, like the sentence and the plot, are on tenterhooks about what comes next. — Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for on tenterhooks
on edge
Phrase
  • His remarks evoked a world on edge, beset by growing social and economic divides and the uneven effects of globalization.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Concerns over a possible serial killer in Lansing, Michigan, have the Big Ten college town on edge.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of on edge

Browse Nearby Words

on-target
on tenterhooks
on the alert
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On tenterhooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20tenterhooks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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