strain every nerve

strain every nerve (third-person singular simple present strains every nerve, present participle straining every nerve, simple past and past participle strained every nerve)

1. To make every possible effort to do something; to do one's utmost.
   • 1960 March, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 174:

     In this very great emergency one might have expected the Western Region, notwithstanding the considerable difficulties involved in finding paths for a greatly increased Paddington-Wolverhampton train service, to strain every nerve to keep passengers in the trains rather than letting them stray away to the accelerated road services.

• “strain every nerve”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “strain every nerve” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.