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
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
The two are close for years, particularly as Dunham grapples with public scrutiny, but their relationship grows strained as the seasons pass, especially when Konner insists that she should be paid the same salary as Dunham.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
The World Health Organization has emphasized that while cholera is preventable and treatable, a global surge in cases has strained the supply of oral cholera vaccines and heightened the need for diversified treatment strategies.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Adjective
The Mets are badly missing Juan Soto, who is out with a strained calf, and is expected to be out another week or two.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
The two are close for years, particularly as Dunham grapples with public scrutiny, but their relationship grows strained as the seasons pass, especially when Konner insists that she should be paid the same salary as Dunham.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sandel suspects those ties were strained by an unusually large group size, competition over food and reproduction, alpha male changes and diseases that killed adults that were key bridges between clusters.
—Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
The World Health Organization has emphasized that while cholera is preventable and treatable, a global surge in cases has strained the supply of oral cholera vaccines and heightened the need for diversified treatment strategies.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strained
Adjective
-
Many have given the 49ers an offensive tackle early in their mock drafts as a potential replacement for the 38-year-old Williams.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
That’s it for our final mock draft of the 2026 NFL Draft season!—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Weathers was charged an additional run after issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth and getting pulled from the game.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The picture represented every second of invisible labor that pulled me away from the little people who mattered most to me, all the work that stole my ability to be present in those moments and remember them, too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The war felt far away then—an abstraction to analyze—its consequences filtered through spreadsheets and financial models.—
Pandu Sjahrir,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The department, aided by the hiring of a new state superintendent in November 2013, began to take a more active role than in the past in marshaling resources, support, and administrative authority to make sure the changes embodied in law actually filtered down to students in the classroom.—
Rachel Canter,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In many years on dairy farms, the worker often labored for 10 hours with no breaks.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Lamarck surely labored over these Romantic effusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bristowe shared a video of herself in a post-op bra with drains attached, as fluid dripped through tubes.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Essential Drip Glossy Balm in the shade skinny dripped and the brand's Mélange à Trois Blush & Highlight Stick in the shade sweet talker to apply her look in the car.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the 53rd minute, however, LAFC defenders were stretched and Werner, on the left, struck a cross that found Ousseni Bouda for the first of the Burkina Faso native’s two goals on the day.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The recovery operation stretched into the wee hours.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, when the game tightened in the fourth quarter, Franz Wagner took over.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But when the rookie defensive linemen became more consistent with their technique and gained a little confidence, the Dolphins defense tightened.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Immediately after the entire cast went and hugged @jemfxpopov’s neck.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia pulled a goal back four minutes into stoppage time with a curler from 20 meters out, but Lyon was a worthy winner and PSG coach Luis Enrique hugged Fonseca.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strained. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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