1
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
each week I would struggle through my piano lesson, keenly aware that I wasn't getting any better
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strives
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in battles
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
a performer's long struggle to achieve success
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in clashes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
there was a struggle between the armed robber and the shopkeeper, and the gun went off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggles
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
The middle-aged woman cured of breast cancer who now struggles to climb stairs because endocrine therapy has carved away her bone density and caused joint aches.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
As Thea’s former suitor, Tesman struggles to call her by her married name, a slip of the tongue that Hedda constantly needles him about.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
McCalla plays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher who struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Robbie struggles, although in fairness, Catherine is an impossible role.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Years later Mozambique still struggles with one of the lowest GDPs in the world.
—Lisa Grainger, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
As luxury struggles to woo a young generation of consumers who have not yet accumulated enough wealth to drop five figures on a handbag, the cohort of twentysomethings has instead become enamored with more affordable fitness activities.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Since taking office, the headlines have mainly been about his controversial appointments, executive orders, and snow removal struggles.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The 2025 August slide from the Padre with the biggest contract was especially unfortunate as the Padres (16-12 in August) were unable to fully capitalize on the Dodgers’ struggles (15-13 in August) to overtake them in the NL West.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The mercurial entrepreneur’s appearance in the Epstein files once again underlines the carmaker’s continuous struggles to control the narrative and rein in the drama.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
The Japan romantics may be overlooking some clear drawbacks, however, including the 30 years of economic struggles that followed the bursting of a truly epic bubble in the 1990s.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Before sharing deeply personal struggles, medical concerns, financial details or questions that could create legal risk if exposed, take time to understand how the app stores protects your data.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
But the reasons behind Tesla’s struggles are much more complicated than mere dislike of Musk.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
After years of struggles with hearing loss, Bonnie Covey's personal story of restoration has helped others with their complications.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Those struggles continued on Wednesday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
The middle-aged woman cured of breast cancer who now struggles to climb stairs because endocrine therapy has carved away her bone density and caused joint aches.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
As Thea’s former suitor, Tesman struggles to call her by her married name, a slip of the tongue that Hedda constantly needles him about.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
McCalla plays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher who struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Robbie struggles, although in fairness, Catherine is an impossible role.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Years later Mozambique still struggles with one of the lowest GDPs in the world.
—Lisa Grainger, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
As luxury struggles to woo a young generation of consumers who have not yet accumulated enough wealth to drop five figures on a handbag, the cohort of twentysomethings has instead become enamored with more affordable fitness activities.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Since taking office, the headlines have mainly been about his controversial appointments, executive orders, and snow removal struggles.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
Starmer faces mounting pressure from Labor MPs over his judgment, with his premiership now in jeopardy amid broader government struggles and poor polling.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The 2025 August slide from the Padre with the biggest contract was especially unfortunate as the Padres (16-12 in August) were unable to fully capitalize on the Dodgers’ struggles (15-13 in August) to overtake them in the NL West.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The mercurial entrepreneur’s appearance in the Epstein files once again underlines the carmaker’s continuous struggles to control the narrative and rein in the drama.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
The Japan romantics may be overlooking some clear drawbacks, however, including the 30 years of economic struggles that followed the bursting of a truly epic bubble in the 1990s.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Before sharing deeply personal struggles, medical concerns, financial details or questions that could create legal risk if exposed, take time to understand how the app stores protects your data.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
But the reasons behind Tesla’s struggles are much more complicated than mere dislike of Musk.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
After years of struggles with hearing loss, Bonnie Covey's personal story of restoration has helped others with their complications.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Those struggles continued on Wednesday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles
Verb
-
Repeatedly, the project seems to transcend the projects, defying gravity in its poetic depiction of how this resilient, supportive community comes together around Lil Ant, stepping in where his father stumbles to embrace the boy.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Soon after, Bradley stumbles on Zuri’s body and confronts Linda, resulting in a brutal fight that includes stabbing, scalp ripping, and some really upsetting eye gouging.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cohen said that Harpers, which is also 100 years old this year, strives to make its customers comfortable enough to just come in and visit without necessarily buying anything.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The 57-year-old now strives for something even more elusive and meaningful than success in the nation’s top baseball conference.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While earlier phases of the Bay-Delta plan have already been litigated, much of the recent focus has been on lengthy negotiations and revisions to the plan, rather than on launching new courtroom battles.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The beef, which started in 1999, has spawned almost three decades of diss tracks and battles in real life and on social media.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Subsequent border clashes with Cambodia allowed Anutin to recast himself as a wartime leader after his popularity initially slipped because of floods and financial scandals.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As a 10-time world champion who’s entering her fifth, and final, Winter Olympics, American hockey star Hilary Knight, 35, has played a key role in energizing one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The sport was built on rivalries.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The House Ethics Committee, which is comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans and tries to stay away from political fights, typically handles allegations involving lawmakers and their family members.—
Stephen Groves,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Pavel Rodon, manager of Havana 1957, said there were fewer fights and better control last year, but the barricades in front of his restaurant also hurt business.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And while his 11 years with the Yankees were often marked with verbal skirmishes with George Steinbrenner, in 1982 the Boss showed his respect for Nettles’ baseball acumen and quiet clubhouse leadership to name him the first Yankee captain since Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These were not skirmishes but full-scale conflicts, usually costing tens—sometimes hundreds—of thousands of lives.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If multiple hypotheses work to explain the data equally well but one conflicts with reality in some other realm (and the other doesn’t), the one that’s valid across the widest range of applicability is superior.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Previously, there was also a recasting of the original leads, Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler, due to scheduling conflicts, with Spaeny and Starkey taking over the roles.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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