Word Study
tense up
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Verb tense up has 2 senses
- tense up(v = verb.body) tense - become tense, nervous, or uneasy; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room" is one way to change state, turn
- tense up(v = verb.body) strain, tense - cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up" is one way to affect
Sample sentences:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody's (body part) ----s
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
For further exploring for "tense up" in Webster Dictionary Online