Taught to sound tense (4)

I believe the answer is:

taut

'tense' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)

'taught to sound' is the wordplay.
'to sound' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'taught' is a homophone of 'TAUT'.

(Other definitions for taut that I've seen before include "Tense, stretched tight" , "On the slope" , "Without slack" , "Pulled or drawn tight" , "Fully stretched" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.