as in unnatural
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
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Harry’s 2023 memoir, which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained family relations.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Duane, who also has a bad knee, strained the old injury, adding physical pain to his feeling of foreboding.
—Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
In the end, Kelly parted ways with the organization amid an on-air controversy and strained relations with senior executives.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Harry’s 2023 memoir, which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained family relations.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
Receiver Tutu Atwell strained his hamstring in practice Thursday.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Duane, who also has a bad knee, strained the old injury, adding physical pain to his feeling of foreboding.
—Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
So watch the video carefully and try to catch the signs of unnatural eye movements, lip-sync issues, weird lighting, shadows and voice inconsistencies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Temporary runways tend to be sketchier to run and jump from, while makeshift throwing set-ups can feel unnatural.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The defendants have pulled every procedural lever to avoid being held responsible for their egregious actions.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Alas, Israel has not pulled the trigger there, either, likely due in part to geopolitical instability — the MDSC would require construction in the West Bank.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Three additional bedrooms filtered throughout the house each have their own bath and outdoor space, while the lushly landscaped grounds span over a third of an acre and host a heated saltwater pool and a spillover spa surrounded by a wraparound sundeck, along with a pair of fire pits.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The album expanded the horizon of sonic possibility, blending the influences of artists such as Prince, Lauryn Hill, and Marvin Gaye with Erykah Badu, Pink Floyd, and Stevie Wonder — and it was all filtered through the soul and spirit of D’Angelo.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At 41 weeks, she was induced and labored for hours before doctors determined an emergency C-section was necessary.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Already labored by national debt levels around double the European target, in September the French economy was downgraded by credit ratings agency Fitch.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Streams of sweat dripped from my wig down my back.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
25 Sep. 2025
-
To prevent the chicken fingers from getting gummy, make sure all excess batter has dripped off before transferring the chicken to the breadcrumbs.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tight fabrics like leggings, T-shirts, yoga pants or any fabric that is stretched against your skin, aren’t stopping mosquitoes to poke through.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
All of this lands on a middle class already stretched thin.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, China just tightened its grip on rare earth exports, giving Beijing the power to potentially veto European defence production.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
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The change represents a shift in how OpenAI approaches content restrictions, which the company had loosened in February but then dramatically tightened after an August lawsuit from parents of a teen who died by suicide after allegedly receiving encouragement from ChatGPT.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nail hugged his defense attorneys Julia Fox and Andrew Ganz after the court clerk read the verdict.—
Cameron Macdonald,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
After the woman thanked her, hugged her, and left, O’Connell never heard from her again.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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