1
: done or produced with excessive effort
2
: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
strained relations
Synonyms
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
But there were struggles along the way, especially after missing some time with a strained groin in late January.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Carson has missed 11 games the last three seasons, and wasn’t able to participate in the Senior Bowl and combine because of a strained left foot.
94.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
There floated the pale, strained, masklike face of a woman terrified that her husband might no longer love her and that harm might come to her as a consequence.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Needless to say, both Lawson and Boyd are dealing with personal demons, the former unable to control his drinking and the latter coping with his strained relationship with his wife (Laura Haddock) after the recent death of their only child.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Roberts never flashes her Pretty Woman smile; Amanda looks strained, especially contrasted with the Scotts.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
Gordon Hayward never made it onto the Spectrum Center court Sunday night, taking a seat for Oklahoma City’s 121-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets due to a strained left posterior tibialis sustained Friday night in Indianapolis.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
For others, like Kennedy, the larynx muscles push the vocal cords closer together, creating a strained or strangled delivery.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
There was a lot of awe, disbelief and strained necks as people looked up for four minutes straight.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Carson has missed 11 games the last three seasons, and wasn’t able to participate in the Senior Bowl and combine because of a strained left foot.
94.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
There floated the pale, strained, masklike face of a woman terrified that her husband might no longer love her and that harm might come to her as a consequence.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Needless to say, both Lawson and Boyd are dealing with personal demons, the former unable to control his drinking and the latter coping with his strained relationship with his wife (Laura Haddock) after the recent death of their only child.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Roberts never flashes her Pretty Woman smile; Amanda looks strained, especially contrasted with the Scotts.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
Gordon Hayward never made it onto the Spectrum Center court Sunday night, taking a seat for Oklahoma City’s 121-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets due to a strained left posterior tibialis sustained Friday night in Indianapolis.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
For others, like Kennedy, the larynx muscles push the vocal cords closer together, creating a strained or strangled delivery.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
There was a lot of awe, disbelief and strained necks as people looked up for four minutes straight.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strained.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near strained
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strained. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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