as in tightening
to draw tight
he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck
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Recent Examples of tensing
Ewing has recognized his shoulders tensing and his upper body going stiff.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
2 Oct. 2025
Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses.
—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.
—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
Keep tensing and releasing muscles of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs, feet, and toes.
—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
2 Oct. 2025
Seemingly immediately, your heart will begin racing and your muscles will start tensing.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Sport mode is where things get serious, tensing the car’s muscles and unleashing the entire prairie of horses.
—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensing
tightening
Verb
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High-end and super-premium American whiskey volumes have grown substantially over the past decade, tightening availability of exactly the kind of aged inventory that investors are helping to create.
-
FedEx Freight says tightening truckload capacity is beginning to push heavier shipments back into the less-than-truckload (LTL) network, offering another clear sign that freight demand is stabilizing after a prolonged downturn.
Cite this Entry
“Tensing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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