1
: done or produced with excessive effort
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
Coulombe has been out since May 5 with a strained left forearm.
—
Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 June 2025
The official synopsis for Father Mother Sister Brother reads: Estranged siblings reunite after years apart, forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 June 2025
That looks like one of the best bargains in last winter’s free-agent market, especially with Amaya expected to miss four-six weeks with a strained left oblique.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Moving from tentative steps to leaps will require overcoming Europe’s own internal impediments to change, including, for some member states, political instability and strained budgets.
—Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 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.
Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 June 2025
The official synopsis for Father Mother Sister Brother reads: Estranged siblings reunite after years apart, forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 June 2025
That looks like one of the best bargains in last winter’s free-agent market, especially with Amaya expected to miss four-six weeks with a strained left oblique.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Moving from tentative steps to leaps will require overcoming Europe’s own internal impediments to change, including, for some member states, political instability and strained budgets.
—Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for strained
Cite this Entry
“Strained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strained. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share