STRESSES Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

stresses 1 of 2

noun

plural of stress

as in pressures

the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time with a full-time job and her college courses, the young woman is under a lot of stress right now

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in emphases

a special notice or importance given to something the company's orientation program places considerable stress on workplace safety

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stresses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stress

as in worries

to experience concern or anxiety the restaurant manager has a tendency to stress about every little thing that goes wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in emphasizes

to make more apparent his bad performance only stressed what I'd been saying all along

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in highlights

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on the doctor stressed the importance of exercise

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stresses

Noun

For me, getting a haircut is a chance to relax, unwind, and take a break from the stresses of daily life. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 These thermal gradients generate stresses that may crack or spall – chip or flake off – the outer surface, but the heat often does not penetrate deeply enough to compromise the structural core. — Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 The book includes a glossary and stresses that collecting can start affordably, demystifying the process and encouraging wealth building through art. — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Some of the many things structural engineers learn are how to calculate loads and stresses. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 And her diary entries about her parenting stresses and postpartum issues were read aloud in court. — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 As Bergeron stresses, breastfeeding is not a requirement to receive benefits from skin-to-skin contact. — Parents, 28 July 2026 This framing stresses partisan makeup and candidate strength more than behind-the-scenes tactical genius. — Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026 Burls are benign and are the result of a response in growth to outside stresses. — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

Verb

Friedman stresses leaders must amplify focus, enabling solitude before collaboration for creativity, and promoting active recovery over passive unwinding. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Astorga, in turn, stresses that emotional recovery will be a long process, especially for those who remain in La Guaira living in tents or displaced from their homes. — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Hayes’ memoir stresses the redemptive power of nature as an antidote to suffering and a way to build emotional resilience. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 The derby operates as a nonprofit, and Paulsen stresses that it's all volunteer run – from clearing the brush before the event, to cleaning up the trash after. — Deena Prichep, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026 Imtiaz stresses that with any form of treatment, speaking up quickly about any concerns is essential. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 Recommended by Our Editors The messaging service also stresses that the user can turn Scam Alert on or off at any time. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026 The white paper also stresses the concerns about data centers that many voters have. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026 Goodman, though, stresses that this faction does not represent the entire fandom. — Kyle MacNeill, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stresses

Noun

Prices of the precious commodity have swung dramatically from one season to the next, particularly as issues such as climate change, water scarcity and pest and disease pressures persist.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Spradling said large events can provide a significant boost, but staffing pressures, parking shortages and rising operating expenses remain ongoing challenges.

— Kenny Choi, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of pressures

Noun

No doubt many other religious institutions have seized on the World Cup with these and other emphases, including evangelizing and otherwise stressing their uniqueness.

— Vahe Gregorian July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
This resulted in a deliberate shifting of certain emphases, new characters being introduced, and other adjustments.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2026

Definition of emphases

Verb

The second is no small consideration in a system where sponsors are sued with some regularity, and Cerulli reports that worries about fees and litigation have slowed sponsors from changing their target-date arrangements at all.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Red velvet cake, but no happy surprises Cristi McGarey’s family often worries about the impact of what has felt like an unending deployment on her 22-year-old son.

— Chris Quintana, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

Neil emphasizes that the expansion comes as the theatrical business heads into the busy stretch of fall and holiday offerings, including awards contenders.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Second, Design With not For emphasizes co-creating solutions directly with employees, fostering genuine ownership and belonging.

— Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of emphasizes

Verb

Executive chef Brendan Mica highlights the best from local waters on seafood-centric lunch and dinner menus.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
Summary Hugging Face's latest report highlights a rapidly expanding community distribution layer for open models, converting raw weights into runnable formats like GGUF.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of highlights

Noun

The Yankees announced Saturday that Stanton had sustained a left calf strain while rehabbing from two calf strains in his right leg.

— Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
The setback occurred a couple of days ago when Stanton — who has missed the past four months due to two separate strains in his right calf — fell while running the bases, manager Aaron Boone said Saturday.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of strains

Verb

Böker reinforces the scales at the tool's ends with nickel-silver bolsters.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
The handling of the Epstein files by Republicans reinforces the observation of ordinary Americans that wealthy and well-connected one-percenters have been and continue to be treated differently from ordinary citizens.

— Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of reinforces

Verb

The Buc-ee’s beaver logo features the face of a beaver with prominent buck teeth wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Divine, which similarly features a scrolling feed of six-second videos, officially launched last week after nine months of development and beta testing.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of features

Browse Nearby Words

stressed-out

stresses

stressful

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Stresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stresses. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of stresses

noun

verb

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