1
as in lineage
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
descended from a strain of Irish seafarers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in shred
a very small amount
detected a strain of panic in her voice when she asked if the substance was poisonous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in type
a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common
writes mystery novels of a more sophisticated strain
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in stress
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
the family's constant moving is putting a real strain on the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the whole department is straining to complete the project before the deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to drip
to flow forth slowly through small openings
put the cooked fruit in a cheesecloth bag and let the juice strain into a pan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to stretch
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
strained her memory but the name just wouldn't come to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
7
as in to hug
to put one's arms around and press tightly
the woman tenderly strained to her breast the child that she had long ago given up for dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strain
ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the knee help reduce strain on the joint and improve overall stability.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 18 June 2026
Georgina Hayden, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026
Instead, discussions to end the war are straining relations between the two leaders.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Noun
The first idea is that the earliest strains didn’t have the right genetic traits to be really lethal.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the knee help reduce strain on the joint and improve overall stability.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 18 June 2026
Verb
My mama strains both the yogurt and the cucumber before mixing everything together.
—Georgina Hayden, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026
Instead, discussions to end the war are straining relations between the two leaders.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strain
Noun
-
Across 45 panels, the cabin traces the Phantom’s lineage—from its origin story to famous owners to landmark moments—while the Starlight headliner adds still more references.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
-
The government says the reviews are not citizenship revocations, but rather a re-examination of applications that may lack sufficient proof of lineage.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Don’t even pay much attention to the heavenly pop melody.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
In some ways, Foreign Tongues is an improvement on Hackney Diamonds, in that the latter occasionally sounded a little too much like a Jagger solo record in its emphasis on vocal melodies; this one feels more guitar-centric and holistically Stones-y.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Trump’s appreciation for and emulation of the histrionics of that sport have been much discussed over the years—recall how the late Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt to shreds at the 2024 Republican National Convention to reveal a TRUMP VANCE T-shirt underneath.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
The industry has been keeping a close eye on what Koosha and his producer Tom Rogers have been doing — namely, conjuring a movie out of thin air without a single shred of an actor, location, crew member or camera.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
This one-of-a-kind woman heads the collection founded in its day by Emile Hermès (1871–1951)—an extraordinary cabinet of curiosities whose doors are occasionally opened to a select few on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.—
Pierre Groppo,
Vanity Fair,
19 June 2026
-
Earlier this year, Moderna’s data was at the center of a highly unusual public dispute as a then-top FDA official blocked the company’s application for its first-of-its-kind shot.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Two children at a Redlands elementary school faced racial harassment, discrimination and teasing for months, resulting in them being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, their mother alleged in a lawsuit filed against the school district.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
My advice to early career scientists is to follow your passion and not be discouraged by the current stress on the system.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, we were told to disembark and news then filtered through that the pope had been offered the King of Spain’s private plane to fly back to Rome.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Some lenses filtered only a small fraction of blue light, while others blocked substantially more, sometimes at the cost of altering color perception.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Caitlin Clark orchestrates offense Clark struggled to find her shooting touch Tuesday, missing 10 of 15 field goal attempts and seven of eight 3-pointers.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Let’s see who thrives and who struggles now that these two have become ones.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strain. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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