Textual thesaurus for "tense"

(verb) strain, tense up

cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

(verb) tense up

become tense, nervous, or uneasy

He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room

(verb) strain

become stretched or tense or taut

the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed; the rope strained when the weight was attached