Pronunciation: /ɒn ˈtɛntərhʊks/
noun a frame on which cloth is stretched for drying or finishing
A1 I am always on tenterhooks when waiting for exam results.
A2 She was on tenterhooks waiting to hear back about the job interview.
B1 The whole town was on tenterhooks as they awaited the arrival of the famous singer.
B2 The investors were on tenterhooks as they waited for news about the company's financial performance.
C1 The detective was on tenterhooks as he pieced together the final clues in the murder case.
C2 The nation was on tenterhooks as they awaited the outcome of the presidential election.
preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause
A1 I am on tenterhooks waiting for the results of my exam.
A2 She was on tenterhooks as she waited for her boyfriend to arrive.
B1 The audience was on tenterhooks during the tense final moments of the play.
B2 The investors were on tenterhooks as they awaited news of the company's financial performance.
C1 The whole nation was on tenterhooks during the nail-biting penalty shootout.
C2 The detective was on tenterhooks as he pieced together the clues in the complex murder case.
formal The investors were on tenterhooks waiting for the quarterly financial report.
informal I'm on tenterhooks waiting to hear back about my job application.
slang I was on tenterhooks waiting for my crush to text me back.
figurative The whole town was on tenterhooks as they awaited the results of the election.
was on tenterhooks
are on tenterhooks
more on tenterhooks
most on tenterhooks
is on tenterhooks
will be on tenterhooks
has been on tenterhooks
is being on tenterhooks
on tenterhook
on tenterhooks
to be on tenterhooks
being on tenterhooks
having been on tenterhooks