STRAINS Synonyms: 443 Similar and Opposite Words

strains 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of strain

as in lineages

the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended descended from a strain of Irish seafarers

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Relevance

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as in melodies

a rhythmic series of musical tones arranged to give a pleasing effect the strain of an old Irish ballad rose up from the revelers downstairs

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as in splashes

a very small amount detected a strain of panic in her voice when she asked if the substance was poisonous

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as in types

a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common writes mystery novels of a more sophisticated strain

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strains

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of strain

as in stresses

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

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strains

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of strain

as in pulls

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure in order to lift something heavy, squat down and lift with your legs, or you'll strain your back

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as in filters

to pass through a filter better strain that coffee thoroughly to get all the grounds out

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as in struggles

to devote serious and sustained effort the whole department is straining to complete the project before the deadline

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as in drips

to flow forth slowly through small openings put the cooked fruit in a cheesecloth bag and let the juice strain into a pan

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as in stretches

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress strained her memory but the name just wouldn't come to her

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as in tightens

to draw tight the dog strained its leash trying to get to the cat

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as in hugs

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

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of strains

Noun

Trustees have cited budget strains and serving as a voice for their community as reasons for running. — Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Every year experts reformulate these vaccines depending on what strains of the virus are circulating or predicted to circulate during the coming winter season. — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026 Most uncomplicated muscle strains improve with symptomatic treatment, but some could develop neurological complications. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Rising financial strains on American workers are forcing them to make painful trade-offs, such as skipping medical care, to make ends meet, new research shows. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 And, how good are plants at discriminating against multiple different strains simultaneously? — Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Despite a growing pool of paying members, insurers face severe profit squeezes and operational strains that are reshaping how care is delivered in the Sunshine State. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Concern about affording healthcare topped other strains on the household budget, such as food, utilities, and housing costs. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026 Households already facing budget strains—including rising costs of rent, groceries, and fuel—are already delaying technology purchases until prices come down in the US, the CTA reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

Because mRNA vaccines can be developed and manufactured more quickly than traditional shots, scientists could wait until later in the year before selecting which influenza strains to target. — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026 What’s worse is the scene that follows, revealing the clean-up of multiple bodies and an elaborate rewriting of the narrative that strains credulity to put it mildly, not to mention shortchanging the Mexican characters. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 But strains at the top of the organization over its brand and direction reflect many premium news outlets’ dilemmas about survival and profit in a post-traffic, AI-ascendant media age. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026 But that unpaid bill becomes uncompensated care, which over time erodes operating margins and strains hospital finances. — Amber Bellazaire, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 This assertion strains logic and factual reality to the breaking point. — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Stanton hasn’t played since April 24 because of calf strains in both legs, but was included on the roster for the Wild Card round against the Boston Red Sox. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026 Film strains sapphire For the study, the researchers examined vanadium dioxide (VO2) films, which are grown on sapphire. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 His recent health setback strains an already frail Warriors center rotation. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strains

Noun

Some ancestral lineages diverged roughly 21,000 years ago, according to the review.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
While some of these families traced their lineages back to the colonial aristocrats of Mexico or New England, the Mesmers, like Griffith, were recent European immigrants, having come to the United States from Alsace, France.

— Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of lineages

Noun

But one of the most striking features of Libertad is that even its most intense tracks feature catchy melodies and irresistible grooves.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
More than halfway through, Beatty says the focus has been keeping the concerts fresh, experimenting with melodies on songs and leaning into the live dynamic.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of melodies

Noun

The apron is built to take a beating—oils and rogue splashes barely register, practically rolling right off the surface.

— Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Jazz fusion keyboardist George Duke, however, plays wild splashes of melody on an electric piano in the empty spaces between Waits’s lines.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of splashes

Noun

Prior Justice Department inspectors general have long complained about the limitations to their authority to investigate certain types of attorney misconduct.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Ninety-four percent of Americans recognize that repairing and upgrading transportation infrastructure helps these types of vehicles move people and goods more quickly and safely.

— Kevin Blackwell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of types

Noun

But modern day stresses are replaced with real life stresses for the tribe, like finding water, staying warm, and protecting the herd—the family’s currency—from jackals and wild dogs.

— Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
That’s a point De Los Angeles’ doctor at Sylvester stresses, too.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of stresses

Verb

Under the standard model, qualifying for those rewards requires potential traders to pay an upfront fee for a simulated evaluation of their trading skills—a hurdle that filters out the vast majority of applicants.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
That runoff waters the plants and filters pollutants as the soil absorbs it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of filters

Verb

As energy supply struggles to keep pace with demand, those delays have drawn political attention and, finally, action, including significant legislation passed at the state level and a new bipartisan permitting reform bill proposed in the Senate.

— Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Toxic haze has covered parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggles

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straining

strains

strait

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Style

“Strains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strains. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of strains

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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