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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Recent Examples of tensions
Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Those tensions hit a new high when Reuters published an internal Defense Department email last week that proposed punishing Britain for its position on Iran by reviewing America’s position on the Falkland Islands.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
But as the team struggled — finishing 10-34 last season and missing the playoffs for the second-straight year — tensions began to surface.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But Passero’s initial response Monday morning reflected behind-the-scenes tensions between state and local officials.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
While tensions in the Middle East centered on Iran, Israeli forces intercepted an aid flotilla in international waters bound for Gaza.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
The move threatens to raise tensions between regional adversaries in a country that is still recovering from a civil war that stymied attempts to liberalize one of Africa’s biggest economies.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
If geopolitical tensions continue to ease and crude remains below its recent war spike, the market can begin to price in a better environment for freight, supply chain costs, and consumer purchasing power.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Shifting loyalties, complicated emotions, and unexpected challenges force their circle to confront difficult truths, as new opportunities and past tensions collide—raising the stakes and setting the stage for lasting consequences.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
As tensions rose in recent months, Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Those tensions hit a new high when Reuters published an internal Defense Department email last week that proposed punishing Britain for its position on Iran by reviewing America’s position on the Falkland Islands.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
But as the team struggled — finishing 10-34 last season and missing the playoffs for the second-straight year — tensions began to surface.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But Passero’s initial response Monday morning reflected behind-the-scenes tensions between state and local officials.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
While tensions in the Middle East centered on Iran, Israeli forces intercepted an aid flotilla in international waters bound for Gaza.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
The move threatens to raise tensions between regional adversaries in a country that is still recovering from a civil war that stymied attempts to liberalize one of Africa’s biggest economies.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
If geopolitical tensions continue to ease and crude remains below its recent war spike, the market can begin to price in a better environment for freight, supply chain costs, and consumer purchasing power.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Shifting loyalties, complicated emotions, and unexpected challenges force their circle to confront difficult truths, as new opportunities and past tensions collide—raising the stakes and setting the stage for lasting consequences.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tensions
Noun
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But cost pressures have escalated quickly in many regions.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, many institutions are grappling with ballooning operating costs and sliding enrollment, pressures that are intensifying labor conflicts over pay and resources.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Win it, and suddenly the series tightens, the doubt creeps in and the path gets a lot more complicated for Orlando.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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There’s also Title Wave Books in Anchorage, which houses one of the most extensive collections of Indigenous American literature in the country, and Nā Mea Hawai'i, whose collection tightens its scope to Hawaiian culture and history.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Add to that the stresses of living in a small environment with other people and trying to accomplish a lot of tasks in a habitat that is isolated and dangerous.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Tax Day is Wednesday, April 15, and Krispy Kreme wants to help consumers deal with the stresses of filing taxes.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Noriega, the analyst, said that the amount companies are paying to cross the Panama Canal may continue to go up if the conflict stretches on, as oil prices are already skyrocketing.—
Alma Solís,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Announced Tuesday, the official feature competition includes 11 films, with France again playing an outsized role — six of the titles are French productions or co-productions — even as the selection stretches across Asia and the Americas.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eyal Zamir said the strains on Israel’s armed forces have created an urgent need to increase military recruitment.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, in the case of probiotic drinks, the specific bacterial strains matter too.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 11 home runs in March/April ties Paul Kornerko for the most by a White Sox player in those months.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The decision to name both cubs after rangers ties the zoo’s conservation breeding program to the front-line work of keeping Sumatran tigers alive in the wild.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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These ragtag misfits, who are all incredibly talented and who are in desperate need of each other, and the glue that binds them together is the music and the city.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
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The technique uses a special solvent called ethaline that selectively binds different metals at different voltages, allowing precise separation.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tensions. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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