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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
a performer's long struggle to achieve success
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in clash
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 battle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggle
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Her subject matters have always been serious, but the artist has struggled with how the art institutions responded to her work.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025
In contrast, Bishop Fenwick (2-4) has had its share of struggles.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Verb
Lemon is top-10 nationally in catches (44), targets (56), yardage (682) and touchdowns (6) and works mostly in the slot, where Notre Dame has struggled to find a reliable nickel, cycling through grad transfer DeVonta Smith, sophomore Karson Hobbs and freshman Dallas Golden.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Her subject matters have always been serious, but the artist has struggled with how the art institutions responded to her work.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
In turn, Zagar saw the birds as being a visual expression of the ideas Ingelsby was exploring in his scripts, specifically Tom’s struggle with faith, and the free-spirited nature of Robbie.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025
In contrast, Bishop Fenwick (2-4) has had its share of struggles.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
Verb
-
Most people don’t accidentally stumble into building a multimillion-dollar empire.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sweet Vincent, written and directed by Ciara Boniface, centers a professional jazz musician reconciling with an old flame during a pivotal performance, both haunted by grief and striving for connection.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The communique said Beijing will strive to improve people’s welfare and the social security system, but did not provide details on how Beijing intends to achieve that or where the funds would come from.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the Netflix adaptation, Pippa helps describe the fight against the Twits’ reign of mischief and terror, serving as a moral compass amid the chaos.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Resistance from African Leaders As youth protests grow stronger, African governments, particularly those that are military-led, are unlikely to surrender their positions without a fight.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The clash occurs more so on the stylistic side and acclimatising to Villa’s methods.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Fundraisers for the victims of devil attacks, apparently a common occurrence in this reality, acknowledge the death toll that these supernatural clashes leave behind.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Lima, Peru Reuters — Peru’s President Jose Jeri declared on Tuesday a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao, saying the move was to battle rising crime.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle.—
Mike Kaye
October 21,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In service jobs, Black workers labored as porters, chauffeurs, and servers; in manufacturing plants, white supremacist pseudoscience was harnessed to justify forcing Black workers to perform the most difficult and dangerous work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The Bears labored much of the rest of the evening.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Smaller efforts popped up in Greenland over the years, but nothing came to fruition.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Supporting the Army’s next phase The M-SHORAD Increment 4 effort is a major part of the Army’s broader modernization strategy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Amazon Prime commentator Kirk Herbstreit said as a guess at Rodgers' response to Jones, as footage of the sideline near-skirmish played for viewers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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The decision was the latest skirmish in a years-long political and legal wrangle over voting requirements for local tax increase proposals.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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