Synonyms of struggles

struggles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of struggle

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

• stumbles
• blunders
• flounders
• shuffles
• trudges
• fumbles
• limps
• jogs
• lurches
• falters
• plods
• lumbers
• sways
• reels
• bumbles
• wallows
• shambles
• flogs
• staggers
• totters
• muddles
• welters
• teeters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flies
• glides
• sails
• zooms
• coasts
• zips
• kilts

2

as in strives

to devote serious and sustained effort

the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strives
• labors
• works
• endeavors
• tries
• toils
• slaves
• tugs
• travails
• hustles
• plows
• sweats
• humps
• digs (away)
• strains
• pegs (away)
• grubs
• bangs away
• plods
• slogs
• plugs
• fags
• drudges
• moils
• beavers (away)
• sweats blood
• attacks
• hammers (away)
• applies (oneself)
• buckles (down)
• exercises
• pitches in
• drives
• knuckles down
• exerts
• scratches
• essays
• digs in
• grinds (out)
• ekes out
• overworks
• wades
• trudges
• overexerts
• scrabbles
• puts out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breaks
• eases (up)
• slackens
• lets up
• slacks (off)
• shirks
• hangs (around or out)
• rests
• goofs (off)
• chills
• loafs
• lounges
• goldbricks
• dillydallies
• plays
• bums
• unwinds
• dallies
• hacks (around)
• lazes
• idles
• basks
• reposes
• hangs
• relaxes
• dabbles
• footles
• lolls
• fools around
• hangs about
• messes around
• fribbles
• goofs (around)
• doodles
• trifles
• vegges out
• putters (around)
• potters (around)
• monkeys (around)

struggles

2 of 2

noun

plural of struggle

1

as in battles

a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective

a performer's long struggle to achieve success

Synonyms & Similar Words

• battles
• fights
• efforts
• frays
• throes
• works
• attempts
• pains
• scrabbles
• tries
• troubles
• toils
• endeavors
• exertions
• travails
• grinds
• wars
• conflicts
• tussles
• labors
• sweats
• contests
• drudgeries
• combats
• strifes
• essays
• warfares

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

• clashes
• fights
• battles
• skirmishes
• tussles
• scuffles
• conflicts
• dustups
• brawls
• frays
• contests
• confrontations
• scrimmages
• altercations
• combats
• scraps
• duels
• fracases
• blows
• hassles
• quarrels
• pitched battles
• disputes
• scrums
• squabbles
• battles royal
• controversies
• broils
• tangles
• mix-ups
• wrangles
• disagreements
• fistfights
• melees
• rough-and-tumbles
• grapples
• spats
• affrays
• misunderstandings
• slugfests
• punch-outs
• fisticuffs
• ruckuses
• jousts
• rows
• ructions
• donnybrooks
• contretemps
• tiffs
• arguments
• punch-ups
• fallings-out
• catfights
• cross fires
• handgrips
• kickups
• face-offs
• free-for-alls
• argle-bargles
• argy-bargies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truces

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

• battles
• rivalries
• conflicts
• confrontations
• contentions
• duels
• competitions
• wars
• matches
• contests
• warfares
• clashes
• strifes
• grapples
• combats
• ball games
• dogfights
• sweepstakes
• tugs-of-war
• showdowns
• debates
• disputes
• face-offs
• horse races
• frictions
• disputations
• controversies
• quarrels
• disagreements
• collisions
• arguments
• discords
• wrangles
• nail-biters
• dissensions
• rows

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• harmonies
• concords
• peaces

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of struggles

Verb

Her tragic fate has inspired other former child stars to speak out about the pressure and struggles that often accompany fame at an early age. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

In the show’s second season, Lumon struggles to contain the fallout from these discoveries and fires the head of the severed floor, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), replacing her with her former deputy, Seth Milchick (Tillman). — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026

But proving that blow-up is impossible is a kind of math AI still struggles with. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026

As the United States struggles to extricate itself from the Iran war, longtime regional ally Saudi Arabia is facing a growing Iranian threat of its own. — Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026

Boyle’s film struggles to find a compelling, coherent path from A to Z, but O’Connell is a powerhouse at its center. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

But as the cost of living rises and the economy struggles, even the humble snack is feeling the impact. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Sometimes reliability says what sentiment struggles to put into words. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, Maya struggles to maintain the beauty and optimism Charlie’s presence brought into her life. — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Noun

Based in Malibu and described as an avid surfer and skater, Gerber had opened up about his mental health struggles and drug use in recent years. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer has compared the struggles his sister once faced with the media to issues being dealt with today by his nephew Prince Harry and Harry’s wife Meghan Markle. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026

Gerber, a model and the older brother of model and actor Kaia Gerber, had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, chronicling his journey on Instagram. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

Gerber had been open about his mental health struggles and drug use in recent years. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Gerber had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, speaking candidly about treatment after being charged with a DUI in 2019. — Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

After the game, Panthers head coach Willie Simmons pointed to the Panthers’ struggles running the football as a major reason for the offensive issues and Kohl’s tendency to press. — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026

Volkswagen has fallen out of the blue chip Euro Stoxx 50 index in a move symbolizing the deep struggles facing Europe's automotive sector. — Sean Conlon,justina Lee,sarah Min, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2026

Their lives intersect during the making of a documentary, drawing out desires and struggles each had kept hidden. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026