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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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
Weeks of Iranian drone and missile attacks on the UAE earlier this year, the vast majority of which were intercepted, sparked tensions among locals and hammered the country's tourism and aviation industry. — Jenni Reid,emma Graham, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 Wednesday, would have escalated tensions between the United States and its northern neighbor, a key trading partner. — Rachel Lerman, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026 Still, when federal contractors began using heavy machinery in the national park to clear land earlier this month, tensions rose again and questions were renewed about their plans. — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Despite regional geopolitical tensions, Disney reaffirms its commitment. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The attacks come as tensions are rising between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls the city of Zawiya. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 Chip stocks are known for big price swings and can be rattled by geopolitical tensions or shifts in how hyperscalers choose to fund their spending. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026 The relationship between the women has been marked by reports of generational tensions and policy disagreements. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026 Growing tensions with Washington have heightened Beijing’s anxieties. — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 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
  • Separating students from those pressures for several hours could encourage face-to-face conversation and give overwhelmed teenagers a genuine break.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • It’s closely watched for evidence of whether underlying price pressures are easing amid supply shocks that can drive the headline Consumer Price Index number higher.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of pressures
Verb
  • In them, her prose tightens into something gleaming and aerodynamic.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, more college graduates are accepting unpaid internships than at any point in the last decade as the entry-level job market tightens around them.
    — Dana Stephenson, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tightens
Noun
  • 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
Definition of stresses
Verb
  • Today, the Atlantic City boardwalk stretches a little more than 5 miles long.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Placer is a Republican county that stretches from the Sacramento suburbs to the northwestern shores of Lake Tahoe.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of stretches
Noun
  • Still, there are strains of deeper sadness and discomfort here, largely in the passive-aggressive tension between Kim’s character and her onscreen mother (superbly played by a new recuit, veteran TV star Choi Myeonggil).
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Each year, scientists aim to match the strains in the vaccine to the ones most likely to be dominant in the coming flu season.
    — Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of strains
Verb
  • That actually ties the non-DCU, The Batman spin-off The Penguin, the hugely praised standalone series that aired in 2024.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For collection accounts and charge-offs, federal law ties the reporting period to the initial delinquency that ultimately led to the account being charged off or sent to collections.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 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
  • The provider binds the account, agent and task in an authorization record and digitally signs it, allowing the retailer and payment service to verify who issued it and whether it has been altered.
    — Aashis Luitel, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Together, the three women are forced to confront old wounds and find out whether what still binds them is strong enough to keep them from sinking.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tensions for Spanish Speakers

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