Draw a tense region (7)
I believe the answer is:
attract
'draw' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'a tense region' is the wordplay.
'tense' becomes 't' (abbreviation used in many dictionaries).
'region' becomes 'tract' (both can mean a large piece of land).
'a'+'t'+'tract'='ATTRACT'
(Other definitions for attract that I've seen before include "Exert a pull upon" , "Draw towards, being magnetic" , "Arouse interest of" , "Lure" , "Allure" .)