It may be perfect

The answer

TENSE

5 letters. See every clue for this answer on the TENSE answer page.

Used 12 times across 9 distinct years; most recently in 2023; first recorded in 1996. It appears in 6 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other clues for TENSE

Every other clue in this collection answered by TENSE, most used first.

• On edge - used 158 times, most recently in 2026
• Uptight - used 125 times, most recently in 2026
• High-strung - used 96 times, most recently in 2026
• Keyed up - used 72 times, most recently in 2026
• Wound up - used 57 times, most recently in 2026
• Nervous - used 50 times, most recently in 2026
• Jittery - used 47 times, most recently in 2026
• Past, present or future - used 41 times, most recently in 2026
• Not relaxed - used 39 times, most recently in 2026
• Past or present - used 38 times, most recently in 2026
• All wound up - used 34 times, most recently in 2026
• Taut - used 33 times, most recently in 2020
• Edgy - used 24 times, most recently in 2023
• On pins and needles - used 24 times, most recently in 2026
• Verb form - used 23 times, most recently in 2025
• Strained - used 21 times, most recently in 2019
• Past or future - used 18 times, most recently in 2025
• Present, e.g. - used 17 times, most recently in 2023
• Feeling nervous - used 14 times, most recently in 2025
• All keyed up - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• English 101 subject - used 13 times, most recently in 2024
• Walking on eggshells - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• Anxious - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Nail-biting - used 11 times, most recently in 2025
• Needing kneading? - used 11 times, most recently in 2024
• Nerve-racking - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Present, for one - used 11 times, most recently in 2024
• Rigid - used 11 times, most recently in 2019
• Tied up in knots - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Grammar topic - used 10 times, most recently in 2026
• Nerve-wracking - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Perfect, e.g. - used 10 times, most recently in 2024
• Far from relaxed - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• On tenterhooks - used 9 times, most recently in 2007
• Stressed out - used 9 times, most recently in 2024
• Stretched tight - used 9 times, most recently in 2011
• A bundle of nerves - used 8 times, most recently in 2023
• Feeling anxious - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Future, e.g. - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• In need of a massage - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Tightly wound - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• In knots - used 7 times, most recently in 2017
• Knotted up - used 7 times, most recently in 2023
• Stressed - used 7 times, most recently in 2020
• Unable to relax - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Up-tight - used 7 times, most recently in 1984
• Very nervous - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Worked up - used 7 times, most recently in 2022
• Form of a verb - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
• Future, for one - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Future perfect, for one - used 6 times, most recently in 2015
• Grammar class subject - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
• Jumpy - used 6 times, most recently in 2009
• Pluperfect, for one - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
• Present or past - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Suspenseful - used 6 times, most recently in 2022

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• Perfect - IDEAL, used 405 times
• Perfect places - EDENS, used 136 times
• Absolutely perfect - IDEAL, used 34 times
• It may be bid - ADIEU, used 26 times
• May 8, 1945 - VEDAY, used 24 times
• Perfect example - IDEAL, used 23 times

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