He strained his senses as the evening breeze rustled the curtains through the open window.
By now, he had been listening for more than an hour, straining all his senses.
He laid his ear against a wall, strained his senses.
He strained his senses to listen and look for any sign, but none came.
He strained his senses to hear any sound.
How much extra can anyone give when we're already straining our senses to the limit?
But as he strained his senses, he seemed to hear a sound like distant voices.
She strained her weak psychic senses to try to read him.
Deanna tried to read his body language, to strain her senses across space and pick up something from him, but she got nothing.
He strained his senses beyond, catching at any sound, any word.