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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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
Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
No letters from the period three or four years before this letter was written have survived, Sands said, pointing out this was a time when Austen wasn’t very productive, struggled with her family’s move to Bath and was perhaps depressed, as some critics have hypothesized.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
The sudden shutdown comes as another ominous sign of significant struggles in the entertainment eco-system, particularly in Hollywood where the economy has faced headwinds ranging from natural disasters to labor strikes.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Verb
There was a wounded heart to Kevin, who’s grieving the death of his father and struggling to connect with his teenage son, that the actor understood.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
No letters from the period three or four years before this letter was written have survived, Sands said, pointing out this was a time when Austen wasn’t very productive, struggled with her family’s move to Bath and was perhaps depressed, as some critics have hypothesized.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
These quarterbacks represent the culmination of decades of struggle and gradual change in a league that once systematically excluded Black athletes from football’s most important position.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
The sudden shutdown comes as another ominous sign of significant struggles in the entertainment eco-system, particularly in Hollywood where the economy has faced headwinds ranging from natural disasters to labor strikes.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
Verb
-
Closer Bryan Abreu stumbled but has earned the benefit of the doubt with the dominance he’s displayed.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Exposure to harmful content is another risk as studies show that teens are more likely than adults to stumble upon self-harm imagery or extremist propaganda.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now retired, Andra loved her job working for the federal government and strives to make a difference in the world around her.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Businesses are striving to do more with less, cutting entry-level roles and striving for AI automation to save on headcount costs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sinner eventually came through in a display of fight and quality in adversity, and now has a day’s rest to manage the problem.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Classes were offered on serving in-fight refreshments and putting on make-up.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The cutbacks are the result of a clash over two budgets—the SEPTA budget and the Pennsylvania budget.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
An opening clash in Luxembourg is followed up by a bout against the four-time world champions in Cologne, as Michael O’Neill’s young team dreams of emulating the side that made it to the 1986 tournament in Mexico.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When a person is gravely ill, they’re often forced to fight two battles, one against their sickness and the other against the insurance company.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some of the works would be labored over and over and over again.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
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During that season Clark was laboring to teach all his defensive linemen a new technique to use, and players would have to film themselves working on it, and send it into the coaches.—
Omar Kelly
August 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The merging of the modern and traditional is an effort to help people find God in a new way, said Reverend Jason Roberson, the head priest at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and to mark the church’s entry into a new century.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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With the sandboxing proposal, companies could identify regulations that are obstructing their efforts, and ask for a waiver.—
Emily Wilkins,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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