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\ ˈstrānd 
\
\Definition of strained
1 : done or produced with excessive effort
2 : pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
strained relations
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Synonyms & Antonyms for strained
Synonyms
- affected,
- artificial,
- assumed,
- bogus,
- contrived,
- factitious,
- fake,
- false,
- feigned,
- forced,
- mechanical,
- mock,
- phony
- (also phoney),
- plastic,
- pretended,
- pseudo,
- put-on,
- sham,
- simulated,
- spurious,
- unnatural
Antonyms
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Examples of strained in a Sentence
He made a strained attempt at being polite.
I took the complaint manager's strained smile to mean I wasn't a welcome sight.
Recent Examples on the Web Some local officials and public health administrators are already reporting strained hospital capacity with the latest influx of patients.
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Christina Maxouris, CNN, "'It's been an exponential increase.' Hospitals prepare for another surge as Covid-19 cases climb," 2 July 2020 But just that kind of commitment has soothed the worst of fears for the VIA Metropolitan Transit budget, and the strained relationship between the transit agency’s leaders and Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
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Bruce Selcraig, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio and VIA now agree the worst bus service cuts are avoidable — but another argument looms," 26 June 2020 And other countries with big populations like Indonesia, Pakistan and Mexico grappled with large numbers of infections and strained health care systems.
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CBS News, "Confirmed new coronavirus cases hit all-time high in U.S.," 26 June 2020 My last question for Howard was how local journalists can do a better job, especially in this strained moment.
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Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, "Street detective J. Howard talks about what’s it like to be black and a Dallas police officer todayThis article has comments enabled.," 19 June 2020 In what has been editorialized as a strained press conference Friday, the mayor and Police Chief Carmen Best attempted to put on a united front.
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Fox News, "Confusion reigns as Seattle's seized six blocks known as CHAZ purportedly changes name to CHOP: 'We're not trying to secede'," 15 June 2020 Other minority groups, such as Latino and LGBTQ Americans, have also faced decades of strained relations with police and are hesitant to call on them, according to experts, activists and studies.
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Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, "Who are police protecting and serving? Law enforcement has history of violence against many minority groups," 14 June 2020 The resolution comes at a strained time as Indianapolis and the nation are rocked by protests against the killing of black residents by police.
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Amelia Pak-harvey, The Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis city-county council declares racism a public health crisis," 9 June 2020 Last year, the strained relations between India and Pakistan reached a tipping point after a suicide attack attributed to a Pakistani terrorist group killed 40 people in the Pulwama district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state.
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Popular Science, "An unprecedented locust swarm is creating unlikely allies," 7 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strained.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for strained
strained
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of strained
: feeling or showing the effect of too much work, use, effort, etc.
: not natural and sincere
: not friendly and relaxed
See the full definition for strained in the English Language Learners Dictionary
strained
adjective\ ˈstrānd \
\Kids Definition of strained
1 : showing the effects of worry and concern
a strained voice
2 : not easy or natural
a strained smile
3 : not friendly or relaxed
Relations between the countries are strained.
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Comments on strained
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Time Traveler for strained
The first known use of strained was circa 1542
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