The effect of Ta substitution on the crystal structure, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of $Bi_{0.5}(Na_{0.82}K_{0.18})_{0.5}Ti_{1-x}Ta_xO_3$ ceramics has been investigated. The Ta doping resulted in a transition from coexistence of ferroelectric tetragonal and rhombohedral phases to an electrostrictive pseudocubic phase, leading to degradations of the remnant polarization, coercive field, and piezoelectric coefficient $d_{33}$. However, the electricfield-induced strain was significantly enhanced by the Ta substitution-induced phase transition and reached a highest value of $S_{max}/E_{max}$ = 566 pm/V under an applied electric field 6 kV/mm when 2% Ta was substituted on Ti sites. The abnormal enhancement in strain was attributed to the pseudocubic phase with high electrostrictive constants.