1
as in stumbles
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 strives
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in battles
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
a performer's long struggle to achieve success
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in clashes
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 rivalries
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
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Recent Examples of struggles
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Roki Sasaki struggles in loss Former Dodger Miguel Vargas delivered the go-ahead hit for the White Sox in the fifth inning as part of a game-defining seven-run rally.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Edwards is a good, kind, and loyal friend, but also struggles with depression and alcoholism.
—Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
The Knicks also had to overcome Brunson’s early shooting struggles through the first half (6-for-14) and Towns early foul trouble (two of his four fouls within the game’s first 63 seconds).
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The Bidens have lived through the death of one son, the addiction struggles of another, several brutal campaigns, and the klieg lights of a presidency.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 11 June 2026
The higher the humidity, the more the human body struggles to deal with the heat because the air is so saturated with moisture that the sweat that would otherwise cool us down can’t evaporate, Laitano said.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
China currently struggles to maintain the iron grip of the communist party politically, while encouraging foreign investment and market economics.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Russia faces further battlefield setbacks Russia’s armed forces are suffering dual pressures from significant battlefield casualties and struggles to recruit replacements, underscoring Moscow’s growing challenges in its war on Ukraine.
—semafor.com, 29 May 2026
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Rather than focusing on recent struggles, Mattingly pointed toward the larger body of work that made Bichette one of the American League's most productive young hitters during his years in Toronto.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Finding answers to their collective struggles isn’t becoming any easier the longer their issues persist.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Additionally, children face ongoing struggles with attention spans and focus, significantly poorer sleep quality, and potential exposure to inappropriate online content.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But Connor Yakaitis, the deputy director at CTLVC, said the region’s struggles with high energy costs weren’t simply the result of stagnant supply and rising demand.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
In addition to all of those struggles, Lululemon, like everyone else, has also had to contend with a new conflict in the Middle East and surging gas prices, which are also increasing costs.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Summer will still come with its share of struggles.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
Verb
Ray struggles to hide his drink, to get a drink, to get away on his own and pursue his Sisyphean labors of hammering a bucket of baseballs off a tee and then wandering through the field to collect them and start again.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Roki Sasaki struggles in loss Former Dodger Miguel Vargas delivered the go-ahead hit for the White Sox in the fifth inning as part of a game-defining seven-run rally.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Edwards is a good, kind, and loyal friend, but also struggles with depression and alcoholism.
—Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
The Knicks also had to overcome Brunson’s early shooting struggles through the first half (6-for-14) and Towns early foul trouble (two of his four fouls within the game’s first 63 seconds).
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The Bidens have lived through the death of one son, the addiction struggles of another, several brutal campaigns, and the klieg lights of a presidency.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 11 June 2026
The higher the humidity, the more the human body struggles to deal with the heat because the air is so saturated with moisture that the sweat that would otherwise cool us down can’t evaporate, Laitano said.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
China currently struggles to maintain the iron grip of the communist party politically, while encouraging foreign investment and market economics.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Russia faces further battlefield setbacks Russia’s armed forces are suffering dual pressures from significant battlefield casualties and struggles to recruit replacements, underscoring Moscow’s growing challenges in its war on Ukraine.
—semafor.com, 29 May 2026
Noun
The McDowells are far from alone in their struggles to find stable, straightforward child care.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Rather than focusing on recent struggles, Mattingly pointed toward the larger body of work that made Bichette one of the American League's most productive young hitters during his years in Toronto.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Finding answers to their collective struggles isn’t becoming any easier the longer their issues persist.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Additionally, children face ongoing struggles with attention spans and focus, significantly poorer sleep quality, and potential exposure to inappropriate online content.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 11 June 2026
But Connor Yakaitis, the deputy director at CTLVC, said the region’s struggles with high energy costs weren’t simply the result of stagnant supply and rising demand.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
In addition to all of those struggles, Lululemon, like everyone else, has also had to contend with a new conflict in the Middle East and surging gas prices, which are also increasing costs.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Summer will still come with its share of struggles.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles
Verb
-
The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Roher and co-writer Robert Ramsay craft a classically structured screenplay about a talented piano tuner who stumbles into a life of crime, upon which Roher, editor Greg O’Bryant, and composer Will Bates embroider jazzy rhythms and inflections, inspired by the musical world our characters inhabit.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Rahma strives for a cinema-verité aesthetic, with footage sometimes shot on vintage digital cameras, but the show’s style can’t overcome the limits of its format.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
-
That's in stark contrast to the graying parishioners at most Spanish churches at a moment the Catholic Church strives to engage with and remain relevant to youth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Situated on Route 33 in Manalapan, this state park has preserved the 18th-century landscape of one of the biggest battles of the Revolutionary War, where the Continental Army ambushed the British army along their route from Philadelphia to New York City.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Both King Charles and the Princess of Wales have been open about their respective cancer battles, using their platforms to drive public awareness.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
And intense clashes at a New Jersey immigration center about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from where the World Cup final will be held are a reminder of the tests facing the White House.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
Slovenia’s Soča Valley carries World War I history — a museum in Kobarid covers the clashes between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces — while Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak, offers turquoise lakes at the glacier’s edge.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova had one of the fiercest rivalries in sports history, and now the pair are opening up about the friendship that followed off the court in a new documentary that revisits their years at the top of women's tennis.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Their rivalries have surfaced in the Horn of Africa, Libya, and Yemen, and in media networks, investment strategies, and diplomatic initiatives.—
Judah Taub,
semafor.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike so many iconic American fights, held in the halls of Congress or on the streets of major cities, this campaign is being waged for the most part in obscurity.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
This year, the event was more spread out in downtown Lee’s Summit, with the fights concentrated in the entrance to the festival area.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
-
Inconspicuous blows against Denver escalated to skirmishes.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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