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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of strained
David Ingram, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Wage inflation ticked down, a positive only in that the consumer feeling a bit more strained acts as a natural counterbalance to inflation.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Supporters of the initiative dislike an influx of expatriates from the neighboring European Union, and say Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained under demographic growth.
—Jamey Keaten, Fortune, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
But the relationship between OpenAI and Apple has become strained, with the ChatGPT creator believing that the integration failed to meet expectations and considering legal action, Bloomberg reported last month.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 8 June 2026
Wage inflation ticked down, a positive only in that the consumer feeling a bit more strained acts as a natural counterbalance to inflation.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Verb
Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity.
—Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Supporters of the initiative dislike an influx of expatriates from the neighboring European Union, and say Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained under demographic growth.
—Jamey Keaten, Fortune, 10 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
-
About 2,700 engineers labored on the project.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
-
Stephen Kolek labored through the first three innings for Kansas City, delivering 55 pitches and allowing six baserunners, but stranded four.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 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
-
The lead stretched to 12 before Brunson and the Knicks rallied again, cutting the lead down to five halfway through the quarter.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
But the short stay stretched into a month, and the once-polite guest turned rude, demanding and increasingly hostile, according to Vanity Fair.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
14 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 19 Jun. 2026.
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