The crossword solution for the term 'SHOWS DISTRESS' is 'TENSES'. Tenses are verb forms that indicate the time of an action or event. They are used to express when something happened, is happening, or will happen. Tenses are also used to show the degree of certainty of an action or event. For example, the present tense is used to express a fact or certainty, while the past tense is used to express something that has already happened.