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

The nation's flood insurance program struggles to balance affordability, flood protection and cost to taxpayers, leaving millions vulnerable at a time when climate change is driving flood risk higher. — Michael Phillis, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026

Next up was Christian Pulisic, dubbed Captain America, who is arguably a bit better but struggles with consistency. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

In the visual, Swift and Johnson mirror one another as Johnson struggles through tribulations with Farrell, including a mysterious poisoning. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

Ari struggles to understand how its two worlds connect, and as events in one world echo events in the other, so will many readers. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

Ali stars as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2026

But when her character — saucy British writer Constance Clavinger — turns out to be a handful (getting drunk at the airport bar, for starters), Homer struggles to get her to the school on time. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Bank of America sees shares plunging even deeper into the red, particularly as the sneaker maker also struggles to lift sales in China, which is a critical market. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Gundlach Bundschu’s announcement follows several other California wineries that have cited difficulties as the industry struggles with dwindling demand, the trade war and natural disasters. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Noun

Blues singer Ma Rainey is making a new recording, which leads to interesting conversations with her band and shows the struggles of Black artists in an industry run by white managers and agents. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026

And their struggles rushing seemed to seep into the passing game, allowing the Bruins to focus on the aerial attack. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The current state of the economy, including rising grocery, gas and property tax bills, not only exacerbated residents’ financial struggles, but forced many to have to make tough decisions. — Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

The Hornets rushed for 102 net yards on 34 carries as their offensive struggles continued. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Bryce Young had to play through pain The Panthers’ fourth-year quarterback had several injury scares on Sunday, and that might have had a lot to do with his Week 3 struggles. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2026

Secondary’s struggles return After shutting down Arkansas State’s passing attack last week, TCU was optimistic its secondary was turning the page. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 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 had been open about his mental health struggles and drug use in recent years. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026