as in fragile
lacking strength, permanence, or resilience
The countries formed a tenuous political alliance. The moon has a tenuous atmosphere that frequently fluctuates in thickness.
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Recent Examples of tenuous
In Jackson’s time, the American republic was in its infancy and the court’s powers were more tenuous.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
That claim is tenuous, according to Julie Rendelman, a former homicide prosecutor from New York who now runs a private criminal defense firm.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025
The Boston Celtics' plan to become the first repeat champion since the 2018 Golden State Warriors already looked tenuous during the waning minutes of a Game 4 road clash against the New York Knicks.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
The ostensible target of the purge are books fostering an ideology of racial preference or DEI, but the relation of this endeavor to national defense is, to say the least, tenuous.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenuous
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
That claim is tenuous, according to Julie Rendelman, a former homicide prosecutor from New York who now runs a private criminal defense firm.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025
The Boston Celtics' plan to become the first repeat champion since the 2018 Golden State Warriors already looked tenuous during the waning minutes of a Game 4 road clash against the New York Knicks.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
The ostensible target of the purge are books fostering an ideology of racial preference or DEI, but the relation of this endeavor to national defense is, to say the least, tenuous.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenuous
Adjective
-
Oyun-Erdene warned before the confidence vote that a change in government could threaten Mongolia’s fragile democracy, which only started in the early 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 June 2025
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That’s where trust can become fragile if leaders start to chase proxies instead of performance.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Injuries can range from a slight stretching of the ligament to a complete tear, where the knee becomes unstable.—
Paul McClure
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
-
By virtue of no state income tax, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas and Nashville do enjoy a slight competitive advantage, but the first 14 Cup champions of the cap era didn’t share that same edge.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenuous. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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