STRAINING Synonyms: 200 Similar and Opposite Words

straining

verb

present participle of strain

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

as in filtering

to pass through a filter better strain that coffee thoroughly to get all the grounds out

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as in struggling

to devote serious and sustained effort the whole department is straining to complete the project before the deadline

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in tightening

to draw tight the dog strained its leash trying to get to the cat

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of straining In the constituency’s main town of Ashton-in-Makerfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London, some voters echo Reform claims that recent arrivals are straining housing and public services. —

ABC News, 11 June 2026 Either way, the machine is straining. —

Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 June 2026 At a moment when international cooperation is essential to controlling outbreaks, policies that risk straining those relationships may have consequences that extend far beyond the care of a small number of patients. —

Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 5 June 2026 Avoid straining when urinating. —

Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026 Pet dumping is becoming a major problem in Connecticut, straining animal control officers while shelters are reaching full capacity. —

Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026 The draft crisis is straining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition, inflaming secular–religious tensions and raising the prospect of early elections as ultra-Orthodox leaders vow defiance over conscription. —

Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 Auoon Clip-On Pot Strainer This clever clip-on pot strainer takes up less space in the cabinet and the dishwasher, and makes quick work of straining pasta water, washing fruit and vegetables, and more. —

Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026 The bottom line With the right tools and strategies, your business can find quality candidates without straining resources. —

Audrey Payne, CNBC, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straining

Verb

There’s a lot of repairing and resolution that needs to happen in this final episode, but luckily things start strong with Liz and Jo-Ellen pulling each other aside to talk things through on the beach.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 June 2026
But Hong Kong has a way of pulling people back.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026