We investigate tunable graphene-nanoribbon (GNR)-resonators actuated in the tangential direction, and their properties are compared to those actuated in the normal direction, via classical molecular dynamics simulations. These GNR-resonators can be tuned both by the initial strain and the gate. The relationships between the frequency-versus-gate and the initial strain in this work are in good agreement with those in previous experimental works. With increasing initial strain, the resonance frequencies are greatly upshifted, whereas the tunable ranges in frequency are greatly decreased. The tunability in the dynamic operating range decreases with increasing initial strain. For very small strains, the GNR-resonators have large dynamic operating ranges in the normal vibration mode, and for large strains, the GNR-resonators have higher operating frequencies in the tangential vibration mode. The resonance frequencies are estimated by a classical continuum model, with tension acting on the GNR-resonators consisting of both initial tension by initial strain and induced tension by gate actuating.