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

Don’t wait until a leader is tapped on the shoulder to take a top job only to realize the leader struggles with collaboration or lacks executive presence. — Roberta Matuson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Only the collision between Manette, Darnay and Carton unleashes a complex love triangle as both men fight for her love and Manette struggles over whom to choose. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Ariel, a successful but exhausted writer, struggles to stay young and attractive while his younger wife drags him into a demanding social life, his five children treat him like a butler, and his elderly parents constantly demand his attention. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

As her character struggles to find balance, her relationship with her son brims with tension. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026

Health teams travel remote, unpaved roads and have reported shortages of protective gear, while a vast population of displaced people struggles to find reliable water sources for washing hands. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026

The idea being to strengthen those bonds to create an environment where crime struggles to thrive. — Heather McRea, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026

When these openings get blocked, water struggles to get through, making your shower feel weaker. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2026

The same can’t be said about the exterior team, which struggles to put out the water toys. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026

Noun

Panettiere’s sudden death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

The movie's themes of addiction, redemption and spiritual transformation also prompted Sorbo to discuss his belief that some struggles can involve more than physical or psychological factors. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Last year’s Dolphins team blamed most of the early season struggles (2-7 start) on the draftees playing prominent roles in 2025. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Chris Wood’s minor injury struggles in pre-season and long-serving Taiwo Awoniyi’s departure to Coventry in a £9million move have both underlined why the club are still pursuing another striker. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Scuffling is a mild way of describing Tucker’s struggles this season. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Prior to her death, Panettiere had been candid about her struggles from child stardom through adulthood. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

After the slayings, Nick’s struggles with mental health and drug addiction made headlines. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

That credibility often transfers to the guest, creating an authentic form of brand exposure that traditional advertising struggles to replicate. — Julio Cesar Gomez, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026