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
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
In its report, Variety detailed mounting unpaid bills, strained vendor relationships, and internal turmoil at Row K that’s left employees and clients hanging in the balance after only eight months.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Randy Thanthong-Knight, Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2026
In order to pay for their investments, private-equity companies raised money from major financial institutions—but now the viability of those lease payments is coming into question as the hyperscalers’ cash flow is strained.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
Adam also alludes to his strained relationship with his own parents, a rift that didn’t start with his coming out, but was widened by that revelation.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
In its report, Variety detailed mounting unpaid bills, strained vendor relationships, and internal turmoil at Row K that’s left employees and clients hanging in the balance after only eight months.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Millions of motorists across Thailand woke up Thursday to the steepest fuel-price increases in decades after the government moved to rein in subsidies strained by surging global oil costs.
—Randy Thanthong-Knight, Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2026
In order to pay for their investments, private-equity companies raised money from major financial institutions—but now the viability of those lease payments is coming into question as the hyperscalers’ cash flow is strained.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
Chiefs beat writers Pete Sweeney and Blair Kerkhoff convened in The Star’s (mock) draft room to come up with choices for all nine picks.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant revealed her WNBA mock draft Friday.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The prosecutor said Abril confronted the couple, at which point James MacEgan was shot and killed, before Abril grabbed MacEgan’s wife and pulled her into the creek.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Third in growth from 2020 to 2025, Iredell County pulled just ahead of Lancaster County for the highest single-year growth rate.—
John Marks,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Call it la dolce vita filtered through an exuberant American lens.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 2026
-
But there is something so wonderful about being fifty and having your own job and having been through so many disappointments that a situation like this is filtered through different experiences and people—the narrator’s discernment has an incredible clarity.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Houston led the Hornets in tackles in 2024 and labored through injuries last season.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Irish workers also labored in rail yards and mines in the area.—
Paula Kane,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another young woman dripped blood down her nose from a gash hastily covered by a strip of fabric tied around her forehead just blocks away, while still walking into the masses along the route with her friends.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The One Battle After Another star dripped in a necklace of over 18 carats.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Unseasonably high temperatures hit US Parts of California and Arizona were under extreme heat warnings again Saturday while sweltering summerlike weather even stretched as far north as Nebraska just a day into spring.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
During ejection, a moon’s orbit can become highly elongated, generating strong tidal forces as it is repeatedly stretched and compressed by its host planet.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her report made numerous recommendations related to the planning of events at Wembley and security at the stadium, but also suggested that the legal framework to deal with tailgating should be significantly tightened.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the clock struck zero, and Iowa had secured its first Sweet Sixteen berth since 1999, Folgueiras found his mother in the crowd and hugged her.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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