TENSIONS Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

tensions 1 of 2

noun

plural of tension

as in pressures

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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tensions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tension

as in tightens

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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 tensions

Noun

Officers used tear gas as tensions flared sporadically in the neighborhood, with small groups of people trying to set bicycles and trash bins on fire. — Sylvie Corbet, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 With tensions rising between Israel’s far-right ministers and Hamas, the arrangement had run its course, Qatar believed. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of businesses were looted nationwide, and unrest continued Sunday in Paris, where police used tear gas as tensions flared around Place de la République. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Like tensions in Poland between technology and the role of the Catholic Church. — Lissa Soep, Vox, 17 Oct. 2026 But there’s also plenty of acrimony and recrimination in the aftermath of the school board election and one final confrontation between King and Paul Martino at a roundtable that leaves little doubt that tensions are still simmering. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 In 2020, tensions erupted into a civil war that in just two years left at least 100,000 people dead, with some estimates rising to more than half a million. — Siyanne Mekonnen, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 Part of an ongoing conflict The incident highlights the increased tensions between the president and the news media. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 But aspects such as strong characters, emotional investment, aspirational and authentic journeys, contemporary tensions, real moral dilemmas and complex relationships are what keep you there. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensions

Noun

The ability to adapt to these pressures will play out differently across fashion’s market segments, Skrami said.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Rising oil prices and persistent inflation loom over the week, with consumer-price data, retail sales and major banks’ earnings due as markets assess interest-rate pressures.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pressures

Verb

Bubbles pop when liquidity tightens, meaning higher rates or stiffer regulation make money harder to borrow, and private creditors grow less willing to lend at any rate.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Promotional pricing is likely as competition tightens, and new formats will deliver better per-serving value than the single-roll SKUs that defined the first wave.

— Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of tightens

Noun

Together with the recurring rhythm and regular chord changes that help punctuate key vocal stresses, this creates an infectious, easy-to-lock-into, roll-off-the-tongue flow.

— David Penn, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
In addition, lines in the stanzas usually alternate between lines of four stresses and three stresses, which defines the ballad’s particular rhythmic pattern, or meter.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of stresses

Verb

Not far from my home on the western shore of Lake Champlain lies the ore bed that in 1875 produced 10 percent of America’s iron ore; the #21 pit, once storied, stretches two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet deep.

— Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Its border with Yemen stretches more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) through rugged desert areas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretches

Noun

Trustees have cited budget strains and serving as a voice for their community as reasons for running.

— Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Every year experts reformulate these vaccines depending on what strains of the virus are circulating or predicted to circulate during the coming winter season.

— Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of strains

Verb

Directed by the Spanish filmmaking duo Los Javis, the drama ties together three time periods to explore the history of gay male desire across nearly 100 years.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
However, the app isn't anywhere near as in-depth as the latest Googlebook OS software, which seamlessly ties your computer to your Android phone and is available across five new laptops.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ties

Verb

Also, a decision by a federal appeals court binds federal district courts within its jurisdiction—here, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming—and serves as influential precedent elsewhere.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Because microorganisms in water turn regular mercury into methylmercury, a toxic chemical form that binds tightly to fish tissue, the heavy metal accumulates to higher levels in aquatic animals.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of binds

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tensioning

tensions

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“Tensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensions. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tensions

noun

verb

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