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
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 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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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
Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Rob Crossan January 17, 2025 Marketed as a luxury tourist destination, the Maldives struggles with the legacy of an authoritarian government and the existential threat of climate change.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 May 2025
: Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
His arrival may be well-timed given the recent struggles by Yennier Cano and the closer (more below).
—Greg Jewett, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Verb
That built him a three-shot lead entering Sunday's final round.
Midway through his final 18, Scheffler was struggling.
—Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Rob Crossan January 17, 2025 Marketed as a luxury tourist destination, the Maldives struggles with the legacy of an authoritarian government and the existential threat of climate change.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 May 2025
Noun
Opinion/Commentary Finalist: Robert Greene Feature Photography Winner: Robert Gauthier for a series of photos depicting the struggles of immigrants.
—: Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
His arrival may be well-timed given the recent struggles by Yennier Cano and the closer (more below).
—Greg Jewett, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
Verb
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Per a fan video, at one point during the show, after spinning his microphone and tossing it towards the audience, Joel appeared to stumble, falling backwards and landing on his side.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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No one stumbled into creating a billion dollar company, gingerly broke a world record, or cautiously planned and lived their peak life.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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What Thornton is striving toward, an embrace of generosity, of humanity being able to change what faith and religion even mean, is often moving.—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
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Businesses should be able to write off the full expense of their capital investments in the year they are made, and the Senate should strive to cut spending elsewhere to balance out the revenue losses from making bonus depreciation permanent.—
The Editors,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Even when cases of public console hacking have led to protracted legal fights—such as George Hotz's saga with the PS3 or Team Xecuter's Switch jailbreaks—console makers don't seem to have used technical means to completely disable offline functions for specific consoles.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
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The awards ceremony reception was being held outdoors when the fight between two adults led to the stabbing, a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a statement.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The clash between Villaraigosa’s environmentalist credentials and oil-industry ties surfaced in the governor’s race after Valero announced in late April that its Bay Area refinery would close next year, not long after Phillips 66 said its Wilmington refinery would close in 2025.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
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Trump tests legal strategies as judges block his policies As the clash becomes a defining moment in the president's second term, conservative activists are pushing Congress to rein in federal judges and pressing Trump to intensify his fight with the courts.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Noun
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As a 60-person battle royale, matches can be extremely long and, in tournament play, repeat over and over for hours until a winning team can be crowned.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
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Salter is also in a quarterback battle with true freshman Julian Lewis.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Brightline has labored to increase ridership along its 170-mile extension to Orlando from West Palm Beach.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
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Each creator contributed immensely to American art and culture, while laboring in an industry that, until recently, produced very little financial rewards or respect.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Estes makes a load of different rockets based on real-world NASA craft, but our favorite has to be their replica of NASA's latest effort — the Space Launch System that will take Project Artemis back to the moon (and beyond).—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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And this year, thousands of year-round and seasonal National Parks workers — including rangers, wildlife researchers and maintenance staff — have been fired and rehired as part of the DOGE efforts to slash the size of the federal government.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Past skirmishes with Pakistan had allowed Modi to construct a triumphalist narrative of strength that played to his domestic audience.—
Vaibhav Vats,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2025
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Türkiye has been vocal about its support for Pakistan in the wake of the border skirmishes, and India has severed ties with several of its businesses and universities.—
Jasreen Mayal Khanna,
AFAR Media,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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