overstrain

verb

over·strain ˌō-vər-ˈstrān

overstrained; overstraining

transitive verb

: to strain (someone or something) beyond a maximum tolerable limit

overstrained herself on the treadmill

overstrain a muscle

overstrained the steel, which developed a crack

He said every nerve had been overstrained in some way, and the whole system must sleep torpid a while.—

Charlotte Brontë

… officials said the aid would be focused only on its banking sector … That would be crucial to avoid overstraining the eurozone's rescue funds …—

Luke Baker and Annika Breidthardt

She doesn't overstrain the metaphor …—

Mark O'Connell

overstrain noun

muscles suffering from overstrain

Examples of overstrain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The film lingers because of the cumulative power of its images; the delicacy with which suffering is conveyed without overstraining for the truth. —

Hazlitt, 27 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overstrain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.