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
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Witt returned to action after missing six games with a strained right knee and went 1 for 3 as the Royals’ designated hitter.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
ABC News,
26 June 2026
Strip away all the context — the current pair of controversies and all the losing that preceded them, all of which has strained the credibility of their organizational leadership on so many levels — and the Giants treated their fans to an entertaining game at Third and King.
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
During a visitation Friday, some attendees spoke of strained relationships with the town’s police force, which has become embroiled in recent years by accusations of over-policing.
—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Witt returned to action after missing six games with a strained right knee and went 1 for 3 as the Royals’ designated hitter.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Verb
Rattled by Russia’s war in Ukraine and strained trans-Atlantic ties, European governments are reducing dependence on foreign technology.
—
ABC News,
26 June 2026
Strip away all the context — the current pair of controversies and all the losing that preceded them, all of which has strained the credibility of their organizational leadership on so many levels — and the Giants treated their fans to an entertaining game at Third and King.
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
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Those included a charmingly cluttered Bucket family home, a lush candyland with the smell of chocolate piped through the Royal Theater to complement the full-size mock chocolate river, and a glass elevator that flew above the audience.
-
Grindlinger is a two-way standout from Southern California who Baseball America had going to Boston in its latest mock draft.
Verb
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Cape Verde almost pulled the biggest upset in World Cup history.
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Garibay’s one-handed save denied Jonathan Ricketts a sure goal in the 64th minute, and Moon pulled a 30-yard opportunity off a poor corner kick clearance just wide left.
Verb
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Most of it gets filtered out without a second thought, and our brains are wired to ignore what feels predictable or irrelevant.
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The byproducts of this process—such as ammonia—must be filtered out and excreted by the kidneys.
Verb
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On the same pitch earlier, South Africa labored past Bangladesh by four wickets and waited for India's fate.
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England impressed in an exciting 4-2 win over historic overperformers Croatia while another pre-tournament favorite, Portugal, labored to a 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
Verb
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Blood dripped from his head; his father and daughter had various injuries.
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During a session, the molecule is mixed with saline and dripped into a vein over one to four hours.
Verb
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Stars including Reese Witherspoon, Emma Stone and Paul Rudd were seen departing the venue after the festivities began Friday evening and stretched until the early hours of Saturday morning.
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Brazil were energetic and vertical, Vinicius Junior and Rayan stretched their opponents and Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time winner was just reward.
Verb
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Where Jović tightened as the match went on, after the energy of claiming an up-and-down first set, Pegula relaxed and trusted her game.
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Commissioning budgets have tightened, development cycles have lengthened and the opportunities for growing indies to scale have become increasingly limited.
Verb
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In the selfie video, Valentina grinned into the camera wearing a gold choker and gold hoops as her mother hugged her from behind.
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At the defense table that day, Broadwater, wearing a gray pinstripe suit, choked back sobs and hugged his lawyers.
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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