tense
adjective
stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
have tensed
-
present perfectof tense.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Imagine how the majority of spectators would have tensed up when manager Dave Roberts trudged to the mound to remove Alex Vesia if the game was actually close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
We have tensed in awe and preëmptive concern watching victims on the stand, growing emotional.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 11, 2019
Pence also defended Trump’s stance on North Korea, another foreign power whose negotiations with the U.S. have tensed in recent days.
From Fox News ● May 10, 2019
I realize my hands have tensed, crumpling the edges of the newspaper.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
