strive

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb strive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of strive are attempt, endeavor, essay, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

Where would attempt be a reasonable alternative to strive?

The words attempt and strive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

When is endeavor a more appropriate choice than strive?

Although the words endeavor and strive have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is it sensible to use essay instead of strive?

In some situations, the words essay and strive are roughly equivalent. However, essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of strive?

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strive But Chalamet, an already rather well seasoned young actor who will keep striving for greatness, who enjoys a good, old-fashioned Edith Piaf lip-sync on a Paris patio, who knows his way around a Dylan ballad, is living in this moment and enjoying it as well as anyone can. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025 At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025 The essence of successful leadership is the combination of these qualities: striving for excellence, demonstrating competency and maintaining humility. Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025 While its commitment is to always strive to do the right thing, in the right way, the company acknowledges that mistakes can happen. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strive
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Courtney Eaton is still struggling to accept Lottie’s fate while playing the character’s teen counterpart in the ’90s wilderness.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman,wife Betsy Arakawa, found dead in their home Gene Hackman's health struggles: What is angina?
    Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Which is, apparently, what the algorithm had been trying to tell me for so long.
    Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Then there are your average Joes, fans of the puzzle who want to try their hand at solving it.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Ultimately, this post-neoliberal ideology and its adherents did not take tradeoffs seriously enough, laboring under an illusion that previous policymakers were too beholden to economic orthodoxy to make real progress for people.
    Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Employees who labored long hours on a dairy farm were disappointed on payday when their checks showed no overtime pay and was missing compensation for regular hours worked, Minnesota police said.
    Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The company also plans to once again reignite its Raptor engines in space to attempt an orbital burn – a crucial maneuver to one day bring a vehicle back to the ground.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
  • During the sixth round, there were long dramatic pauses and time seemed to stand still as spellers asked for detailed definitions, and pronunciation of words before attempting to spell it out.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • As of late, Goodman, an Oscar winner, has been working mostly in the TV space.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Long before Brady Corbet became the savior of big-swing cinema with The Brutalist and the Safdie brothers were red-carpet regulars, Pattinson worked with both in Childhood of a Leader (2015) and Good Time (2017), respectively.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • For example, in December Norfolk Land Trust and Northeast Wilderness Trust finalized a conservation easement on more than 600 acres of forest that a group of Norfolk families has endeavored to protect since the 1980s.
    Shelley Harms, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025
  • King Charles and Goldberg learned more about the work of the organizations that gathered at the palace, and their respective initiatives endeavoring to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust lives on.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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