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
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
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
Verb
-
Because a baby’s eyes are still developing, the lenses inside of them are not as effective as an adult’s at filtering out UV rays.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Fiorio gave no indication that the manual gearbox has any hope of filtering down through Maserati’s production lineup.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The officials described Pakistan’s monthslong effort leading the negotiations, struggling to keep both sides from walking out of the room and a total collapse of the negotiations on multiple occasions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
The third spot, initially expected to go to Martín Zubimendi, now looks more likely to be Fabián Ruiz for the Cape Verde opener, with De la Fuente pragmatic about rotating in the early group games and with Zubimendi struggling for form later on in the club season.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
That was the background; in the foreground were about a dozen ancient live-oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.—
Fred A. Bernstein,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
-
Zendaya stunned in an LBD dripping with fringe during her first red carpet with Tom Holland since 2021.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Data centers are contained in buildings stretching as far as a football field, housing thousands of continually running machines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
But the Los Angeles pianist still loves stretching out with a small combo.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Social media companies have already put in place child safety measures, such as new algorithms, in response to tightening regulations, including by Britain.—
Paul Sandle,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
The Bank of Japan raised rates to their highest level in more than 30 years, one of a string of major central banks tightening monetary policy in part because the Iran war is fueling inflation risks worldwide.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The train continues south to Christchurch, hugging the craggy coast.—
Steve Madgwick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
-
His psychedelic paintings, sometimes painted in the style of Russian Orthodox icons, often depicted Putin with a bovine nose or hugging pigs.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The woodcut birth figures contained in these books were not images drawn from observation—pregnant cadavers for anatomical drawing were hard to come by—but were instead abstracted diagrams of the chaotic diversity of laboring bodies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Another laboring woman with the same image on her phone.—
Karli Swenson,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straining. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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