The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word RIDDLES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
I
D
D
L
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Strains/puzzles" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case strains/puzzles = riddles.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RIDDLES mean?
RIDDLES noun- A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature.
- An ancient verbal, poetic, or literary form, in which, rather than a rhyme scheme, there are parallel opposing expressions with a hidden meaning.
- To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
- To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.
- A sieve with coarse meshes, usually of wire, for separating coarser materials from finer, as chaff from grain, cinders from ashes, or gravel from sand.
- A board with a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it.
- To put something through a riddle or sieve, to sieve, to sift.
- To fill with holes like a riddle.
- To fill or spread throughout; to pervade.
- A curtain; bed-curtain
- One of the pair of curtains enclosing an altar on the north and south
- To plait