Akademik

tense up
verb
1. become tense, nervous, or uneasy
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He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room

• Syn: ↑tense
• Ant: ↑relax (for: ↑tense)
• Derivationally related forms: ↑tension (for: ↑tense), ↑tensor (for: ↑tense)
• Hypernyms: ↑change state, ↑turn
• Verb Frames:
-

Something ——s

-

Somebody ——s

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Somebody's (body part) ——s

2. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
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he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

• Syn: ↑tense, ↑strain
• Ant: ↑unstrain (for: ↑strain), ↑relax (for: ↑tense)
• Derivationally related forms: ↑strain (for: ↑strain), ↑tension (for: ↑tense)
• Hypernyms: ↑affect
• Hyponyms: ↑stretch, ↑extend
• Cause: ↑tense
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Something ——s somebody

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tense up variant UK US
Main entry: tense

Useful english dictionary. 2012.