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 Unity strives for timely payment processing, typically aiming to complete clean claims within about a month, with accountability built into its agreements. Jason Phillips, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 The tours strive to combine education with entertainment in a welcoming and stylish setting. Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Oct. 2025 Beyond succession, corporate carve-outs are fueling deals as Japanese conglomerates, under regulatory pressure, strive to free up capital and boost return on equity. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025 And then a lot of just striving for success. Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strive
Verb
  • While this violation enrages the village’s women, the men who make up the Panchayat (village council) try and fail to cast her out of town.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.
    Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In my experience, this is especially true in the lonely hours of the night while struggling with chronic pain.
    Joni Eareckson Tada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • After an effort to create a Falls of the Ohio national park fell short in 1967, Kentucky and Indiana officials struggled to stop the falls from becoming a garbage dump.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His latest film is the drama Sentimental Value, about a father attempting to reconnect with his daughters, which Skarsgård starred in and executive produced.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The France international attempted 11 shots, matching the second-highest tally by a player in the league since the start of 2018-19 (behind Salah’s 12 against Brighton & Hove Albion in March 2024).
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Dodgers then knocked off the Giants in the NL Division Series, though Scherzer lost his Game 3 start – allowing three hits and a run on Evan Longoria’s game-deciding homer while laboring seven innings and 110 pitches.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Betsy’s love labored between two living losses.
    Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike many recycling approaches, this method works across multiple plastics and even mixtures, producing gram-scale yields that point to real-world feasibility, as per the release.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The humanities program will work with the arts board's Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program to train master and apprentice Wisconsin folk artists in planning and producing public programs that showcase and contextualize cultural traditions, stories and histories.
    Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kevin O’Connell will no doubt endeavor to get McCarthy off to a strong scripted start, and the Minnesota game plan from there should be centered around easy completions with the occasional big-time throw sprinkled in.
    J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Skilled forgers started to catch on, endeavoring to cash in on that development.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on strive

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