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
Barry Hatton, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
In the track’s accompanying video, Kelela and Paul sing to each other in a studio, confronting the end of a strained relationship as night falls.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Ashley Capoot,annie Palmer, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Where systems are strained, capital finds opportunity.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
Trump and Zelenskyy have had a sometimes strained relationship.
—Barry Hatton, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
In the track’s accompanying video, Kelela and Paul sing to each other in a studio, confronting the end of a strained relationship as night falls.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Verb
The unexpected action marks the latest wrinkle in Anthropic’s relationship with the government, which has been strained after a clash with the Department of Defense escalated earlier this year.
—Ashley Capoot,annie Palmer, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Where systems are strained, capital finds opportunity.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
Public health officials have been preparing for months, said Philadelphia’s Raval-Nelson, including with mock emergency drills and communications with counterparts around the country.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
The mock-neck tank pairs effortlessly with jeans, shorts, or skirts, while the floral wide-leg pants can stand on their own with a simple white tee.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
In a lot of cases, Earth’s gravity probably captured these objects and pulled them in, adding them to its growing bulk.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
-
The Telegraph reports that the artist pulled a Russian flag from his pants and threw it in a trash can.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The Iran war’s disruption to energy flows pushed up commodity costs, helping ease deflationary pressures that have plagued China for years — but the gains barely filtered through to consumer prices amid weak demand.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
-
The staff memo said water would be reclaimed, filtered and reused.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Washington starter Cade Cavalli, scratched from the lineup the previous day due to illness, labored through 2 2/3 innings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
-
Debby labored and gave birth in our bedroom under a bright full moon and snow outside; Felix arrived right into my hands.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The dress’s mermaid-esque skirt dripped in feathers all the way down.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
-
Also featured on the summer menu will be a new Unicorn Cake Pop, featuring vanilla cake mixed with confetti sprinkles, dripped in white chocolate icing and decorated with a unicorn face.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Boise’s rough end to May stretched into June, and the first-year club left Madison, Wisconsin, last week surrendering four unanswered goals in the second half for an embarrassing loss.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
21 June 2026
-
The Chicago rapper took the stage before a crowd that stretched throughout the venue, delivering a set that mixed fan favorites with freestyle moments and audience interaction.—
J.M. Banks
June 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
In April, American Airlines tightened restrictions on portable chargers that passengers can bring on flights.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
While attempts to recycle gangue date back to the 1950s, the economic incentive shifted after 2010 as natural sand supplies tightened and Beijing locked in its national carbon targets.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The Heaven’s 27 parents hugged and talked easily with one another, but their tired eyes always seemed a breath away from tears.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
The garment hugged her midsection in before fluttering out over her hips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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