1.   Being under tremendous stress, facing death, they relieved their tensions by cursing their situations.

2.   She tried to relieve the tension by making a joke.

3.   We can create dramatic tension by building up expectations.

4.   They all laughed as Nikos relieved the momentary tension by producing another bottle of wine and proceeded to fill fresh glasses.

5.   And - unlike efforts to destroy it - bilingual education can ease ethnic tensions by bringing kids of different backgrounds together to learn from each other.

6.   According to Janet Thompson, a longtime aide who has spent many Election Days with Franks, he diffuses the tension by bowling and watching movies.

7.   But before and after his election, Chen eased tensions by making it clear that he would not declare independence unless China attacked Taiwan.

8.   But China has now escalated tensions by recklessly raising the prospect that it might use military force to intimidate Taiwan.