as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
I took the complaint manager's strained smile to mean I wasn't a welcome sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pulled
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
in order to lift something heavy, squat down and lift with your legs, or you'll strain your back
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in filtered
to pass through a filter
better strain that coffee thoroughly to get all the grounds out
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in labored
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 dripped
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 stretched
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 hugged
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 strained
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Kennedy’s speech often sounds strained and broken from a condition called spasmodic dysphonia, also called laryngeal dystonia.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
These professionals are feeling increasingly strained, with 65% saying their roles are more stressful now compared with five years ago.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
Both have also been invited to the Board of Peace and both have a strained relationship with Israel after its two-year war in Gaza.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Kennedy’s speech often sounds strained and broken from a condition called spasmodic dysphonia, also called laryngeal dystonia.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Since the ceremony in April 2022, things have been strained between the eldest Beckham and his parents, David and Victoria.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
These professionals are feeling increasingly strained, with 65% saying their roles are more stressful now compared with five years ago.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
The mock drafts have already started pouring in from national draft experts.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Ten days before Wagler dropped 46 points on Purdue on just 17 shots, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo had the former Shawnee Mission Northwest star going 18th overall in his latest NBA mock draft.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Media reports indicate that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles pulled back in mid-2025.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
During the confrontation, Schwable allegedly pulled a knife from his sleeve and waved it toward others, leading the bystander to strike him with a toolbox and restrain him until officers arrived.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Across his catalogue, Daijo explores love, loss, longing, and resilience, universal themes filtered through a lens shaped by his mother’s courage and his international upbringing.—
Mandeep Rai,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The whiskey is non-chill filtered.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The team labored in home losses to Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mahomes ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the fourth quarter of that setback against the Chargers.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The administration has labored to frame the use of the military in Venezuela as a law enforcement action, since Maduro had outstanding warrants for his arrest in the United States.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Johansson super-sized the radiance with her accessories, showing off a pair of dainty silver dangling earrings that dripped with pearls and diamonds.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
-
While Marlon Wayans and Timothy Simons’s wrists practically dripped with gems, George Clooney went simpler, choosing a stainless steel Seamaster Aqua Terra watch with a bright turquoise dial.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The law requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces and to end military action within 60 to 90 days absent authorization — limits that presidents of both parties have routinely stretched.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
State officials say the program is a way to reduce costs, prevent medication lapses, and ease the burden on doctors, particularly in rural areas where clinicians are already stretched thin.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two wins for Nuno (aided by his new assistant coach Paco Jemez) and a big victory for Nottingham Forest at Brentford have tightened things up at the bottom end too, with Leeds, Spurs and the free-falling Crystal Palace all in the mix now.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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But the defense tightened, holding K-State to 2-for-10 (20%) 3-point shooting after halftime.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The girls stayed with their grandparents in the smallest of ten bahay kubo, traditional bamboo-stilt homes, that hugged a bend of the San Juan and were overgrown with mango and jam fruit trees.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Parents hugged children and quickly cleared them off the bleachers and onto buses.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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