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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strive
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Any journey toward elevating procurement performance should begin with a reflection on value, and CPOs must strive to balance supply security with driving cost optimization.—
Matthew Buckingham,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Donald Trump’s administration and local authorities over the Republican’s sweeping immigration crackdown.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Trump’s administration and local authorities over the Republican’s sweeping immigration crackdown.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Salter is also in a quarterback battle with true freshman Julian Lewis.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Brightline has labored to increase ridership along its 170-mile extension to Orlando from West Palm Beach.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
-
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
-
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
-
This Saturn transit is asking you to take the lead but with effort, consistency and hard work.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share