1
as in lineage
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
descended from a strain of Irish seafarers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in shred
a very small amount
detected a strain of panic in her voice when she asked if the substance was poisonous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in type
a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common
writes mystery novels of a more sophisticated strain
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in stress
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time
the family's constant moving is putting a real strain on the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to struggle
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 to drip
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 to stretch
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 to hug
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 strain
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Last year, the company took pre-emptive action to only allow listings with the relevant accommodation licenses, and Seo is blunt about the strain that surges in demand can place on inventory.
—Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupts field operations, hindering global conservation.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Noun
Iran’s own economy is under significant strain, the Institute for the Study of War said, with millions of jobs lost and a collapsing currency.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Last year, the company took pre-emptive action to only allow listings with the relevant accommodation licenses, and Seo is blunt about the strain that surges in demand can place on inventory.
—Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up ticket prices.
—Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupts field operations, hindering global conservation.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strain
Verb
-
The only question was which lever Brown would pull to save his team’s season in the first round of the playoffs.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
All of which is great news for Adam Silver and everyone else pulling a paycheck from the league.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Such a search through Google’s location data begins with a haystack of hundreds of millions of phones and enables the police to filter out a few that could lead to a suspect.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Top opaque wood fencing with a top portion that is spaced to allow some light to filter through to keep your privacy fence from making your backyard feel too closed in.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If that’s not enough, their sticky sap can drip on cars and driveways below.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Lookout Perched on a hillside where tropical fruit trees drip with papayas, bananas, and limes, The Lookout comprises two spacious boutique apartments that can be rented separately or as a private four-bedroom villa.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means by the time an indictment is returned, the factual narrative typically reflects a backward-looking account of conduct that may stretch over a decade.—
Andrew S. Boutros,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The candidates themselves must live within the district’s boundaries, which stretch across large portions of northwest and west-central Georgia and include parts of western metro Atlanta.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Palestinian Authority’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the West Bank.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There’s also Title Wave Books in Anchorage, which houses one of the most extensive collections of Indigenous American literature in the country, and Nā Mea Hawai'i, whose collection tightens its scope to Hawaiian culture and history.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They were seen hugging at the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico in October 2023, strolling ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas in November 2024 and holding hands at the Grand Prix of Miami in 2025.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Russini resigned from The Athletic earlier this month amid mounting criticism over her relationship with Vrabel, the New England Patriots’ head coach, after being photographed hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Data from the German Aerospace Center, which analyzes global development, cross-referenced with images from ICEYE and Vantor show that buildings making up the peripheries of the cities damaged by this year’s fires mostly sprang up in the 2000s and 2010s.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strain. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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