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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Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggle
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Flummoxed in Congress, organizing back home The pushback to Trump has been slow in starting as congressional Democrats, outnumbered in both chambers, continue to struggle to devise the strongest message and most effective tactics to use against the Republican president.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 16 June 2025
Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Yet that makes the Trump administration’s recent struggles in court even starker, says Gbemende Johnson, a political scientist at the University of Georgia.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Verb
Just as a time traveler from the 1960s would struggle to navigate modern life without learning how to operate a phone, a talented professional in 2025 who hasn’t learned to work with AI tools is out of step with reality.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Flummoxed in Congress, organizing back home The pushback to Trump has been slow in starting as congressional Democrats, outnumbered in both chambers, continue to struggle to devise the strongest message and most effective tactics to use against the Republican president.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 16 June 2025
Noun
Comparing San Dieguito’s struggles with transparency to neighboring districts is striking.
—Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Yet that makes the Trump administration’s recent struggles in court even starker, says Gbemende Johnson, a political scientist at the University of Georgia.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
Verb
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Scott made the turn at even-par but a bogey-bogey-double bogey stumble from holes Nos. 14-16 ended his tournament.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
-
Then in 2022, with escalating inflation and consumer pressure, the stock stumbled again with a 63% drop.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Jared, a division of Signet Jewelers, is striving to increase its relevancy to today’s customers in other ways as well.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
16 June 2025
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For the striving artists, a steady job is not a compromise but a strategic advantage, a powerful catalyst for sustained creativity and personal well-being.—
Kice Akkawi,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
The Panthers are ready for a fight in this series, always, wherever.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2025
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Another case is Egypt and Ethiopia, and their fight over a massive dam that is having an effect on the magnificent Nile River.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
This clash has had tangible repercussions: Tesla’s stock experienced a significant drop, erasing over $150 billion in market value, while Trump Media saw a decline of approximately $500 million.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Boys lacrosse In a wild Div. 4 round of 16 clash, host Littleton received a goal from Zach Milner with five seconds remaining to list the Tigers to a thrilling 13-12 victory over host Lynnfield.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The two journalists paid tribute to the late MTV VJ, who died Wednesday following a prolonged battle with breast cancer, during a CNN segment on Thursday.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
14 June 2025
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Some media companies are fighting legal battles with AI startups for copyright infringement, arguing that the infiltration of click-free answers is a serious threat to what has become a modern business model for journalism.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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But the last pieces are always the hardest, and the weird SALT dance has the potential to snarl things even more at the last minute — especially after Speaker Johnson labored to get some of the same pro-SALT members to codify spending cuts.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 June 2025
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But build rather than buy has been the Apple ethos ever since Jobs and co-founder Steve Wozniak were laboring in their garage in the mid-1970s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Any efforts to bridge the gap between these groups—universal pre-K, immigration, income tax, foreign aid—well, that’s just D.E.I. Ultimately, Lewis’s intervention is not to demolish the idea of genius as much as to narrow its definition.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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Michael Manley, the prime minister at the time, had asked Bob Marley and the Wailers to play the Smile Jamaica concert in an effort to calm tensions in the country.—
Natalie Meade,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Noun
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One skirmish involved the arrest of a union leader, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, who said he was injured and detained by ICE.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
9 June 2025
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Alongside Israeli military drills, stalled diplomatic talks, and proxy skirmishes, these hostile warnings signal a dangerous escalation.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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