tensile strength

noun

: the greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing apart

Examples of tensile strength in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s over seven times the tensile strength of the concrete. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 9 Nov. 2024 The treatment does not compromise tensile strength and tends to improve the material’s flexibility, according to researchers. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025 Biology can deliver most of the functionality that materials deliver; for example, spider silk has the tensile strength of steel. — Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026 The bridge’s suspension cables are each made of 40,000 steel wires, with a tensile strength of more than 290,000 pounds per square inch (2,000 megapascals) per wire. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tensile strength

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tensile strength was in 1862

Rhymes for tensile strength

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Browse Nearby Words

tensile
tensile strength
tensimeter
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Cite this Entry

“Tensile strength.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tensile%20strength. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tensile strength

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tensile strength

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