1
: done or produced with excessive effort
a strained smile
2
: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
strained relations
Examples of strained in a Sentence
He made a strained attempt at being polite.
I took the complaint manager's strained smile to mean I wasn't a welcome sight.
Recent Examples on the Web
The council listened, with strained faces and large eyes.
—
Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Utah’s challenge joins a growing wave of lawsuits and state actions from Pennsylvania to Arizona, alleging DHS bypassed environmental review, strained local infrastructure and clashed with community values.
—Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
In a clip from the game, the actress — who sported a Knicks jersey and was joined by her son August, 19 — strained to see the on-the-court action from her courtside seats.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
But the relationship between OpenAI and Apple has become strained, with the ChatGPT creator believing that the integration failed to meet expectations and considering legal action, Bloomberg reported last month.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
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.
Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Utah’s challenge joins a growing wave of lawsuits and state actions from Pennsylvania to Arizona, alleging DHS bypassed environmental review, strained local infrastructure and clashed with community values.
—Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
In a clip from the game, the actress — who sported a Knicks jersey and was joined by her son August, 19 — strained to see the on-the-court action from her courtside seats.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
But the relationship between OpenAI and Apple has become strained, with the ChatGPT creator believing that the integration failed to meet expectations and considering legal action, Bloomberg reported last month.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strained. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
