straining
stray ning
- n an intense or violent exertion
- n the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
- v to exert much effort or energy
straining our ears to hear - v test the limits of
- v use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
- v separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
- v cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
- v become stretched or tense or taut
- v remove by passing through a filter
- v rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
- v alter the shape of (something) by stress
- s taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
his final, straining burst of speed
- Despite progress at some individual companies, most employers are straining under the weight of an ever-increasing healthcare burden, just as Washington is straining to pay for its .
- Fannie Mae grew so large over the years that in 1968, with the pressures of the Vietnam War straining the national budget, President Lyndon Johnson took Fannie Mae's debt .
- But underneath that diplomatic spat over history is a struggle for power and influence in East Asia that is increasingly straining Beijing-Tokyo relations.