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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tensions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tension
as in tightens

Related Words

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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
No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice President JD Vance, but tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported. — Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The treaty has endured three wars and prolonged periods of diplomatic tensions but has come under increasing strain in recent years. — Sam Meredith,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Another top Pentagon official has resigned amid tensions with Secretary Pete Hegseth. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Those tensions will be on display this week at the Farm Progress Show, billed as the nation’s largest outdoor agriculture show. — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Nawrocki responded by withdrawing a state honor awarded to Zelenskyy, further escalating the tensions. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 What follows is an ascent shaped as much by tensions of origin, class and conflicting ambitions as by the dangers of the mountain itself. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 The last several years have taught them that private family tensions have a habit of becoming very public. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 These tensions took center stage in June when the 1,424-home Toll Brothers at Alder Creek project gained approval. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensions
  1. pressures
  2. tightens
  3. stresses
  4. stretches
  5. strains
  6. ties
  7. tenses
  8. binds
Noun
  • Consequently, these price pressures could become significantly more pronounced by the end of this year, with effects potentially extending into 2027.
    — , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When Miley asked how Taylor-Joy is managing the pressures of entering such a major property, the actress shrugged it off.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of pressures
Verb
  • As tuition climbs and federal oversight tightens on low-earning programs, a new tool lets families compare outcomes across California campuses.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Drawing on existing generation without adding new supply tightens the market and can raise everyone else’s bills.
    — Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of tightens
Noun
  • The platform will be monitored over time to assess how the bamboo composite performs against fatigue, environmental exposure and other stresses encountered offshore.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Amid the stresses of the Arctic, scientists are rethinking the idea that all life is a cutthroat competition with winners and losers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stresses
Verb
  • Lyonnes and Washington Spirit of the NWSL, Kang’s influence stretches across the global game, but it cannot be escaped that Putellas has dropped down from the highest level with this move.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But 160 Leroy portends a future that stretches the definition of what constitutes New York living into hitherto-unknown territory.
    — Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stretches
Noun
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID dashboard, new data on strains is currently unavailable due to low sequencing submissions.
    — Christy Santhosh, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Yet these strains have not led to the rupture that some observers had predicted.
    — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of strains
Verb
  • For South Africa, which supplies more than 80% of the world’s platinum, the hydrogen bet ties its export earnings and job creation to Beijing’s industrial policy.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That ties him with two other players for the most times having won that award.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of ties
Verb
  • Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of tenses
Verb
  • Instead, the plasma is a mix of the constituents of hadrons and the nuclear force that binds them.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Gilligan’s portrait of their relationship is a study of how time binds people together.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of binds

Browse Nearby Words

tensioning
tensions
ten-speed
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Cite this Entry

“Tensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensions. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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