Play
Play verb - To engage in activity for amusement.
Usage example: told her son that he needed some time to run and play in the yard after his hard work
Strain
Strain verb - To devote serious and sustained effort.
Usage example: the whole department is straining to complete the project before the deadline
How words are described
| original | original play | original strain |
| single | single play | single strain |
| real | real play | real strain |
| constant | constant play | constant strain |
| Other adjectives: big, great, serious, infamous, new, early, major, final, aggressive, last, different, eponymous. | ||
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- These maps aren't so much meant to be played seriously as they are tech demos; this is because the sheer amount of ragdoll physics in play will put strain on even the best computers.
Source: Ragdoll Physics - Thorns: Uprising is a Web Original play-by-post RPG, set in a steam-era fantasy world called Vita, in a kingdom under the strain of impending civil war.
Source: Roleplay / Thorns Uprising - This actually comes into play in the story when Shion is forced to use her power to defend Marry; the strain of using her powers despite being half-human kills her.
Cite this Source
Strain and Play. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/play/strain
Play & Strain. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/play/strain>.
Strain or Play. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/play/strain.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "play" and "strain" have occurred on timeline