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
Faye Levy, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
The dullest focuses on Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz, who puncture the movie with some sharp line reads but are largely wasted in thankless roles as Mark and Janet, two teachers in a strained romantic relationship.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2026
Abby Dodge, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Whitewater first asked for funding two years ago Meyer first sent a letter to Biden and other officials in January 2024, writing that police resources were strained – including from an increase in unlicensed drivers – after the arrival of some 1,000 immigrants since 2022.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
Just add tahini sauce, roasted peppers from a jar, and labneh — strained yogurt that is almost as thick as cheese.
—Faye Levy, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
The dullest focuses on Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz, who puncture the movie with some sharp line reads but are largely wasted in thankless roles as Mark and Janet, two teachers in a strained romantic relationship.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Eddie Paris, a Cuban-American who arrived at Miami International Airport after visiting family on the island, said everyday life in Cuba is becoming increasingly strained.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Whitewater first asked for funding two years ago Meyer first sent a letter to Biden and other officials in January 2024, writing that police resources were strained – including from an increase in unlicensed drivers – after the arrival of some 1,000 immigrants since 2022.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
During the test, teams will run through the full range of operations that would take place on launch day, including loading the SLS rocket with 700,000 gallons cryogenic liquid propellant that is later drained and conducting a mock countdown.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Kids will have a blast at the Seaport Museum next door, especially when exploring the mock-village section and tall-mast whaling ship.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, the individual appears to tilt their head away from a doorbell camera, hold a flashlight in their mouth and attempt to cover the lens with a gloved hand and what looked like part of a plant pulled from the yard.—
Bradford Betz , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Wills pulled together a men’s fashion show with local and national celebrities, followed by dinner, dancing and a movie.—
Mark Woolsey,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Coherence collapses when reality gets filtered on its way up.—
Amy Eliza Wong,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
If any part of that is uncertain — weak GPS data, offshore photos, older images — the result gets filtered out.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Aster didn’t micromanage as Tracy labored over the script and suffered a bout of COVID during lockdown.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ho’s voice dripped with disappointment at the fact.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That included expert testimony that blood stains on Ryan's hands suggested Christine Banfield's blood had been dripped onto him from above.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nancy Guthrie The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has now stretched into a third week after she was abducted from her Arizona home.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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In downhill, super-G and giant slalom, the gates are two poles with a nylon panel stretched between them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And while last year’s budget bill tightened eligibility checks, the goal should’ve been stopping bad behavior, not penalizing consumers.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Since then, Cornyn’s TV blitz has defined Paxton as a diminished candidate dogged by ethics questions, a move that has tightened the contest in pre-primary polls.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
A couple of hours later, the hatches swung open and the seven space travelers hugged and exchanged exuberant high fives.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Hudson turned heads at the The Beverly Hilton red carpet in her off-the-shoulder Erdem silk gown, which hugged her body through the knee and featured an unexpected distressed accent with a raw seam on her neckline and visible stitching on the frayed hem.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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