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
As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
The board’s work has been plagued by a strained relationship with other city departments and council leadership as attempts to formalize board regulations have stalled and disagreements over document access and investigation results have emerged.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Long-term impact Gregg Phillips, an associated administrator at FEMA, said its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strained
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Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
The board’s work has been plagued by a strained relationship with other city departments and council leadership as attempts to formalize board regulations have stalled and disagreements over document access and investigation results have emerged.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Long-term impact Gregg Phillips, an associated administrator at FEMA, said its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 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 17 Feb. 2026.
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