1
as in pulling
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
Relevance
2
as in filtering
to pass through a filter
better strain that coffee thoroughly to get all the grounds out
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in struggling
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 dripping
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 stretching
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
as in tightening
to draw tight
the dog strained its leash trying to get to the cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in hugging
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 straining
After the tea had finished its boil, Meraj poured it out, straining the steaming, fragrant liquid into small cups.
—
Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The crisis also is straining government finances.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The incident involving Pizzaballa risks further straining relations between Israel and the Vatican, which established diplomatic ties in 1993 but have periodically faced tensions over access to holy sites and the treatment of Christian communities.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
One of the main cities, Rasht, has been packed with Iranians who fled from Tehran and elsewhere, straining local resources.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Planets exert a gravitational pull on their stars, like a dog straining on a leash, explains Lisa Kaltenegger, an astrophysicist at Cornell University and lead author of the new study.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Stop straining your eyes and get a load of these amazing Big Spring Sale monitor deals.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
But that kind of behavior can backfire, economists say, by creating demand spikes, straining supply chains and putting additional upward pressure on prices.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
The difference is not straining.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The crisis also is straining government finances.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The incident involving Pizzaballa risks further straining relations between Israel and the Vatican, which established diplomatic ties in 1993 but have periodically faced tensions over access to holy sites and the treatment of Christian communities.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
One of the main cities, Rasht, has been packed with Iranians who fled from Tehran and elsewhere, straining local resources.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Planets exert a gravitational pull on their stars, like a dog straining on a leash, explains Lisa Kaltenegger, an astrophysicist at Cornell University and lead author of the new study.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Stop straining your eyes and get a load of these amazing Big Spring Sale monitor deals.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
But that kind of behavior can backfire, economists say, by creating demand spikes, straining supply chains and putting additional upward pressure on prices.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
The difference is not straining.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straining
Verb
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Huge columns made of light pink and dove gray Tennessee marble shone in the evening light filtering in from the glass roof.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Testing well water regularly and correctly filtering it in a home can cost hundreds of dollars a year.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The king hosted a banquet for him in a hall dripping with flowers and gold leaf.—
Danica Kirka,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This is the best that West has ever looked, including every shirtless scene and every time he’s gotten out of the pool dripping wet.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trolley lines move across the city, stretching as far West as the Darby Transit Center and back East toward 13th street.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
At Fourth and Bainbridge streets in the Queen Village neighborhood, drivers are slowing, stopping and swerving to avoid two large potholes stretching across the roadway.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While some countries are opening new, easier pathways to citizenship or long-term residency options, others are tightening their requirements in ways that are slamming the door on millions of Americans hoping to settle there or get a second passport.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The backdrop has prompted some investors to question whether the Fed might be forced back into tightening mode despite signs of slowing growth.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bay Harbor consists of two islands hugging the Broad Causeway, which stretches just west of Bal Harbour to North Miami.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the photo, Martin can be seen hugging her cast members on stage while holding a bouquet of flowers and a handful of wigs.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That took hundreds of people within Apple laboring over technical details like the screen’s lamination and moisture rejection, according to a former Apple engineering leader.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straining. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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