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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

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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

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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 struggles
Verb
In bonds, France’s problem is America’s problem A lot of eyes are on the French bond market right now as Paris struggles to deal with its national debt. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026 Today, Los Angeles struggles as productions flee to places including New Jersey, Georgia, London and Albuquerque, which are taking their turns as urban shape-shifters. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 For all of their injuries and struggles this season, the Commanders would have moved just one game back of the NFC East lead with a win over the first-place New York Giants. — Jake Kauderer, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 The network could support communications across remote regions where conventional infrastructure struggles to reach. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026 An offense that’s almost impossible to stop and a defense that struggles to get teams off the field. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 Ruben’s view Like many African countries, DR Congo struggles to enforce laws that exist on paper. — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Not only does Jeong-yo have an emotional connection to his music performance that Pi-o struggles to find himself, but Pi-o has injured his pinky in the leadup to the final performance, thanks to his obsessive practicing. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 As someone who struggles with the dizzying effects of altitude, I was quickly reminded of Santa Fe’s 7,000-foot elevation. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
Getting access to sumo stables, wrestlers, their traditions, rituals and thinking and struggles can’t have been easy. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 The sketch took aim at reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including plumbing issues and mental-health struggles among the crew during their extended deployment. — Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 And El-Sayed, despite insisting the election should focus on Michigan voters and their economic struggles, has embraced the larger implications of his candidacy. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 And El-Sayed, while maintaining that the election should focus on Michigan voters and their economic struggles, has also embraced the larger implications of his candidacy. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Another one of music’s biggest acts, the beloved country star Jelly Roll, has also been frank about taking care of his mental health, amid personal struggles including his recent divorce as well as being a recovering addict. — Rob Ledonne, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2026 Sallitt depicts Jackie’s personal and professional struggles as specific hiccups that might manifest for anybody. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026 Miami’s figuring out who has the mental makeup to survive the struggles. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026 There was a decent amount of quick-game stuff mixed in to mitigate the line’s early-season struggles, but Love wasn’t sacked and only absorbed two quarterback hits. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles
  1. stumbles
  2. strives
  3. battles
  4. clashes
  5. rivalries
  6. labors
  7. fights
  8. skirmishes
Verb
  • While going through Verity’s files, Lowen stumbles on her memoir, an alleged confession.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • But here, too, Wladyka stumbles, opting for a comforting but pat ending about how dance and art enliven so many lives.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • Katie strives to use catering companies that adhere to the teachings of the Make America Healthy Again movement, one regular guest says, which encourages the consumption of raw milk and the avoidance of seed oils.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Duplan strives to make individual rooms part of his music, regardless of location.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of strives
Noun
  • But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Though their eligibility battles remain unsettled, both players took part in Thursday’s 45-minute open practice at Allen Fieldhouse as full-fledged members of KU’s 2026-27 team.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • The student rallies, now stretching into their third week after violent clashes with police, mass school closures and thousands of arrests, are expected to resume on Thursday.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms tried to make President Donald Trump the focus of one of the debate’s sharpest clashes.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of clashes
Noun
  • Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There are a few big rivalries in the NFL, but almost none have as much history as Chicago and Green Bay.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Verb
  • Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.
    — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of labors
Noun
  • The trailer also featured glimpses of steamy makeouts, ATV chases down the beach, fiery explosions, and good ol’ bar fights.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Director Christopher Nolan uses the premise to stage spectacular sequences where cars reverse down freeways at high speed, cause and effect goes topsy-turvy, and fights are just, well, weird.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of fights
Noun
  • Oasis’s Live ’25 was one of the biggest tours of the decade, marking the band’s first performances in 15 years after brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher’s intense skirmishes led to the band breaking up in 2009.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Asgari highlights these minor skirmishes through life itself (whether at its most verbose, or in complete silence) via minor aesthetic transformations which play in major keys, and prove deeply moving.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of skirmishes

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Cite this Entry

“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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