1
: done or produced with excessive effort
2
: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
strained relations
Synonyms
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
By William Baldwin, Senior Contributor State budgets are strained and tax hikes might make voters angry or businesses inclined to leave.
—
William Baldwin, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
The return of former chief scout Sven Mislintat — with whom Kehl has a strained relationship — as technical director, further complicated his role.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Prince Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family remains strained.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
Zuckerberg has worked to patch up the strained relationship between Trump and Meta in recent months.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
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.
William Baldwin, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
The return of former chief scout Sven Mislintat — with whom Kehl has a strained relationship — as technical director, further complicated his role.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Prince Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family remains strained.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
Zuckerberg has worked to patch up the strained relationship between Trump and Meta in recent months.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for strained
Dictionary Entries Near strained
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strained. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share