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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggles
Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Many believe if Gabriel struggles again Sunday against the Patriots that the Browns could use the following week’s bye to prepare Sanders for his first career start against the Jets the following week.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The losers in this round are Toby and our not-so-perfect Tom, who struggles the entire episode, which is strange for a man who is that good-looking.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Michelle is more cunning, figuring out how to play these two to her whims, while Teddy struggles to prove her extraterrestrial origins.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Deep down, Gloria reflected, her son still struggles with Thomas’s death.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet beneath its delightful surface, Nobody Wants This remains an uneven show—one that relies too heavily on its effervescent stars and, despite treating them with more kindness this time around, still struggles with its Jewish women.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Texas law spells out when the state can step in if a school district struggles for too long to meet academic or leadership standards.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
Macy’s own family, meanwhile, struggles to accept both Macy’s gay son and her nonbinary child.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Christian Clark, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The shutdown could very well exacerbate those struggles for many Americans, especially people on the margins.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Rural populations have been systemically neglected in policy and underreported in the media, and the perpetuation of visual stereotypes further undermines their struggles.
—William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
But after Pittsburgh's struggles defending the Bengals and the Packers the last two weeks, a Steelers win over Indianapolis would be an absolute shocker.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Young voters are united in disappointment Many young Americans feel a collective sense of disillusionment in the political system, and respondents told NPR that their financial struggles are exacerbating that pain.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Firake cited Kodak’s business struggles as an example of a company that failed to respond quickly to technological disruption and adapt its model.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Bieber’s close friend Kendall Jenner has been open about her own struggles with acne—recently, becoming an ambassador for Therabody’s new LED mask, the TheraFace Mask Glo.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
But that first touchdown was a big one in the way Mizzou has had its struggles with explosive plays this season.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
The show follows Snow's Sophie, who struggles to adjust to a new life in Texas but forms a close and complicated bond with Akerman's Margo.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Many believe if Gabriel struggles again Sunday against the Patriots that the Browns could use the following week’s bye to prepare Sanders for his first career start against the Jets the following week.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The losers in this round are Toby and our not-so-perfect Tom, who struggles the entire episode, which is strange for a man who is that good-looking.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Michelle is more cunning, figuring out how to play these two to her whims, while Teddy struggles to prove her extraterrestrial origins.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
Deep down, Gloria reflected, her son still struggles with Thomas’s death.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet beneath its delightful surface, Nobody Wants This remains an uneven show—one that relies too heavily on its effervescent stars and, despite treating them with more kindness this time around, still struggles with its Jewish women.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Texas law spells out when the state can step in if a school district struggles for too long to meet academic or leadership standards.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
Macy’s own family, meanwhile, struggles to accept both Macy’s gay son and her nonbinary child.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
A lot of Flagg’s struggles can be explained by the situation he’s been put in.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The shutdown could very well exacerbate those struggles for many Americans, especially people on the margins.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Rural populations have been systemically neglected in policy and underreported in the media, and the perpetuation of visual stereotypes further undermines their struggles.
—William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
But after Pittsburgh's struggles defending the Bengals and the Packers the last two weeks, a Steelers win over Indianapolis would be an absolute shocker.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Young voters are united in disappointment Many young Americans feel a collective sense of disillusionment in the political system, and respondents told NPR that their financial struggles are exacerbating that pain.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Firake cited Kodak’s business struggles as an example of a company that failed to respond quickly to technological disruption and adapt its model.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Bieber’s close friend Kendall Jenner has been open about her own struggles with acne—recently, becoming an ambassador for Therabody’s new LED mask, the TheraFace Mask Glo.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
But that first touchdown was a big one in the way Mizzou has had its struggles with explosive plays this season.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles
Verb
-
But Zoë’s first adaptation stumbles out of the gate — in large part because this show isn’t really her show.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
With the three Premier League stumbles and a grating 1-0 Champions League shutout to Galatasaray, Liverpool found itself with four uninterrupted losses for the first time since 2014.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Every athlete faces the fear of failure and strives to uphold a standard.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Unity strives for timely payment processing, typically aiming to complete clean claims within about a month, with accountability built into its agreements.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
As legal battles intensify, the administration faces mounting pressure to justify its actions and resolve a case that has tested the limits of executive authority over immigration enforcement.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.—
NPR,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Early on, federal agents guarding the building deployed tear gas and shot pepper balls in clashes with protesters and arrested some of them, including some charged with felonies on suspicion of assaulting or blocking officers.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Beijing’s talent-friendly move could also give it a boost amid continuing trade tensions and tech rivalries with Washington, which has imposed export controls on chips and other advanced technology that are spurring China to develop its own.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Lewis, a tight end at Wisconsin from 2004-07, traces his appreciation for rivalries to his Big Ten roots.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The woman said they are getting used to one another, but, luckily, there have been no fights.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Filmmaking is nitpicking, anxiety, fights, claustrophobia, exhaustion, euphoria.—
Susan Sontag,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The official inauguration, originally scheduled for July 3, 2025, was postponed to the last quarter of the year due to regional conflicts.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Introduced by FilmNation last fall as a sales title at AFM, the film originally had Alan Ritchson attached to star opposite Midthunder, though he was reportedly forced to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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