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
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Ace Hunter Brown made two starts before succumbing to a shoulder strain and closer Josh Hader has not thrown a pitch in the majors this season.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 May 2026
If your summer vacation budget is straining under inflated gas prices and airfare, these deals may provide relief.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Noun
The outbreak has been linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare but potentially severe virus that in some cases can spread between humans through close contact.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Ace Hunter Brown made two starts before succumbing to a shoulder strain and closer Josh Hader has not thrown a pitch in the majors this season.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Verb
The oil bottleneck has driven up the price of crude, straining the state's supply chain.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 May 2026
If your summer vacation budget is straining under inflated gas prices and airfare, these deals may provide relief.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for strain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strain
Verb
-
As the Moon moves into Sagittarius, your 12th House of Reflection becomes more active, pulling you inward to process before acting.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
The combination creates a vortex effect, which pulls hot ash, embers and debris into a spinning column.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Its crimson hue results from the the light filtering properties of Earth's atmosphere, which scatter the blue wavelengths of moonlight as the lunar disk sits close to the horizon, while allowing red wavelengths to pass through relatively unhindered.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
Sometimes that battle is filtered through songs that sound like show tunes or gospel hymns.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 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
-
The Moon in Capricorn moves through your 3rd House, opposing Jupiter in your 9th, stretching the gap between details and interpretation.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
-
San Antonio stretched its lead to as many as 47 points on the way to leveling the series at one game apiece.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Only this time, instead of tightening a shoe around your foot, the famous pump mechanism winds a mechanical watch.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
-
The tightening rules in the domestic market will likely add to the woes of DJI, which is already facing regulatory headwinds overseas.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
For background, photos showed Russini and Vrabel hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Arizona last month.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Instead of opting for a body-hugging gown, Kim Kardashian went wore a bright orange metallic body plate from the ’60s designed by Allen Jones.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
They’re specifically designed for glass cooktop surfaces and have two sides—a gritty, sandpaper-like one on one side and a soft sponge on the other that gently scrub off stubborn messes and stuck-on bits without scratching or damaging the glass.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strain. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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