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.

That feeling can present in many ways — rumination, a knot in your throat or your chest, an unease in your stomach, the tensing of muscles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

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

I could feel myself blushing and tensing up to fight back.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis