1
: done or produced with excessive effort
a strained smile
2
: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
strained relations
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
When personal relationships become strained or neglected, that pressure spreads.
—
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Ware returned to Miami on Thursday for further treatment on his strained hamstring and will miss the rest of the Heat’s West Coast trip that has two games remaining on Saturday against the Jazz and Sunday against the Suns.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Before the loss to the Blazers that dropped the Heat to 1-2 on this five-game western swing and 23-22 overall, the Heat announced that Ware had been sent back to Miami for treatment on his strained right hamstring.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Fanning, playing an A-list American actress navigating the strained family dynamics of the auteur who hired her for his comeback, joined Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Stellan Skarsgård among the nominees.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
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Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Ware returned to Miami on Thursday for further treatment on his strained hamstring and will miss the rest of the Heat’s West Coast trip that has two games remaining on Saturday against the Jazz and Sunday against the Suns.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Before the loss to the Blazers that dropped the Heat to 1-2 on this five-game western swing and 23-22 overall, the Heat announced that Ware had been sent back to Miami for treatment on his strained right hamstring.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Fanning, playing an A-list American actress navigating the strained family dynamics of the auteur who hired her for his comeback, joined Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Stellan Skarsgård among the nominees.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strained. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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