tense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The stone structure has spawned tense hearings, lawsuits, countersuits, investigations and a boycott.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Egypt, despite being the most decorated team in African soccer, had to grind out two tense draws just to survive its World Cup group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
While Eala seemed tense, Paolini looked lively, and she landed a series of fiery winners two games later to strike the first blow.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
It might - for some - have been an unsatisfactory way to end a British Grand Prix that had gone from tense racing to extraordinary upheaval in the final few laps.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
I exited his office, feeling both annoyed and tense.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
“When I’m frustrated and my eyes roll and my voice tenses, they feel that,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Mr. Drout analyzes with clarity and humor Tolkien’s fascination with Finnish grammar, the distinctive ways he uses pronouns and the particular verb tenses he favors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
As the ants mount their attack, the juvenile beetle tenses its muscles and expels a drop of bright red fluid.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 12, 2024
Rasavong’s body still tenses up when recounting, in particular, a call from an elderly woman.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 3, 2024
Immediately my body tenses, but she puts two fingers to her lips—the most binding of Tribal vows.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
And this reaction evokes the challenge CNN faces as its news team barrels into a national election cycle that's already looking tenser and more fraught than 2020's or 2022's nailbiters.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2023
Things got tenser when Hyundai and LG Energy Solution announced a $4.3 billion electric battery plant in May at Hyundai’s new complex.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
The atmosphere among the home fans turned slightly tenser when Brighton halved the deficit, but the noise increased to thunderous levels again after the two late goals removed any lingering doubts.
From BBC ● May 18, 2023
But essentially, the post-election weeks have become a unique political grace period for lawmakers leaving Congress to try to forge bipartisan compromises that eluded them in tenser times.
From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
“Four, three, two . “Oppenheimer, on whom had rested a very heavy burden, grew tenser as the last seconds ticked off,” remembered Farrell.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre describes this as the tensest security situation the country has faced in decades.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2022
The tensest moment of the debate was when Bolsonaro called da Silva to stand next to him as he answered a question.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2022
Now, as Angola approaches its closest and tensest election since multi-party democracy arrived in 1992, the "library" has also become a spot where young Angolans debate their country's future -- and lament its many failures.
From Reuters ● Aug. 23, 2022
In Rome, it was all there again for Djokovic: lithe, deep and consistent returns, a pickpocket’s moxie during the tensest moments.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2022
The next forty-eight hours, Hitler later confessed, were the tensest of his life.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
When her sister, Rowe, walked in that morning, she found Waldorf with her eyes wide and glazed over, her jaw tensed.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
“I wouldn’t say we tensed up. We just didn’t execute when we needed to.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
In a flash, she springs into action, her muscles tensed and claws unsheathed.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025
It was too expensive to keep the fibers tensed all the time, plus it interfered with the electricity—but for earthquake-length bursts of time, the building and its occupants would be safe.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2024
As they crossed the bridge out of the village, Anya tensed up.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
After a difficult doctor’s appointment with her mother recently, Thompson says she felt her whole body tensing up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
"Sometimes, I catch myself tensing up," Justin said.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2023
“I’m tensing up. There’s a lot of stuff I can do to protect myself.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2023
She sits in strained, watchful silence, the film registering every constriction of her throat and every tensing of her muscles as she listens to Laurence’s testimony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
As he listened, Richard’s jaw worked, the muscles tensing and relaxing.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Vocabulary lists containing tense
A Long Walk to Water
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Language and Grammar - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
