| tense up | |
verb | |
| 1. | become tense, nervous, or uneasy; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room" [syn: tense] [ant: decompress] |
| 2. | cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up" [syn: tense] [ant: loosen up] |