struggle 1 of 2

verb

ˈstrə-gəl How to pronounce struggle (audio)
Definition of strugglenext
1
as in to stumble
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strive
to devote serious and sustained effort the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

struggle

2 of 2

noun

1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective a performer's long struggle to achieve success

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2
as in battle
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups there was a struggle between the armed robber and the shopkeeper, and the gun went off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 struggle
Verb
Since then, given the growing number of countries questioning the Orb, the company has appeared to be struggling. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Health teams travel remote, unpaved roads and have reported shortages of protective gear, while a vast population of displaced people struggles to find reliable water sources for washing hands. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
Samantha Rosaforte, a 19-year-old from Carmel, New York, can relate to the struggle. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 Bourdain was open about his struggles with using heroin in his life, and Leo is the one that introduces him to the heroin dealer in Provincetown. — Matt Minton, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
  1. stumble
  2. strive
  3. fight
  4. battle
  5. rivalry
  6. labor
  7. effort
  8. clash
Verb
  • According to The New York Times, a detective within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who had been assigned to dig into the Shakur cold case stumbled upon Davis’ memoir and used it as evidence to build his case against him.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Drunken dragonrider Ulf the White's rage proves pivotal Debaucherous dragonrider Ulf White (Tom Bennett) stumbles into playing a major role in the final battle with his dragon Silverwing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ruled out fracking in a key basin, citing danger to nearby water tables and indigenous communities — a move that highlights her political balancing act as the country strives to wean off US energy.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders should strive to embed a security engineer directly into product squads from the design phase, turning cryptographic requirements into ordinary user stories rather than late-stage compliance findings.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of strive
Noun
  • The fight over the plan to sell off parts of the World Cup and other signature FIFA events to private businesses has tested that bulletproof presidency.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The vote capped off a bruising confirmation fight, with Blanche’s loyalty to Trump at the center of the stalemate.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • Four months later, my mom began a private battle against death when she was diagnosed with polio.
    — Dr. Marianne Parshley, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Following a slew of casualties (including James Norton’s Ormund Hightower) during a massive battle between the Blacks and the Greens at Tumbleton, Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) jumps to her death off screen in King’s Landing.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • Houthis’ allies The Houthis are backed by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war escalated and as its rivalry with Saudi Arabia intensified.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside the central Yash roles, the trailer introduces Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth and Huma Qureshi, each positioned within a web of relationships and rivalries that define the ensemble narrative.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of rivalry
Verb
  • That left it to mixed, where the PBR teams labored past Chicago’s youngsters in two close mixed matches to win 3-1 and move onto the next round.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Wrobleski labored his previous two starts, giving up 12 runs and eight homers in 10 1/3 innings.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said on X on Friday that the group will continue to target any Saudi buildups in an effort to lift the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The significant time and effort involved makes most sense when recruiting, hiring, training, and mentoring large numbers for identical (or at least similar) jobs.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • Its vibrant colors and familiar texture became fashion material, incorporated into the fishnets, color clashes and styling experiments surrounding her tour with Skillibeng.
    — Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Be sure to draw appropriate boundaries while Venus and Neptune clash.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of clash

Browse Nearby Words

structuring
struggle
struggled
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Cite this Entry

“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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