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

Content produced entirely by AI often struggles to build the trust and loyalty that keep customers coming back. — Kylie Slavik, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

Eight wage claims alleged unpaid wages, delayed tips, bounced checks and struggles with accessing payroll records, the outlet reported. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026

The Hurricanes’ struggles to defend against the pass rush do not fall on any one offensive lineman. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

Young people face high unemployment and poverty as the country struggles with an economic crisis. — CBS News, 9 Nov. 2026

Lee said delivery to streamers is tougher than meeting cinema DCP specs, since platforms analyze files mechanically rather than by eye, and AI output still struggles with requirements such as bitrate and color grading. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026

Eventually, oxygen struggles to penetrate the electrode, reactions become more difficult, and usable capacity falls. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

Lloyd launched his solo career with the 1979 release of Alchemy, but struggles with substance abuse derailed his career in the years that followed. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2026

Los Angeles also struggles with an ongoing homelessness crisis — filthy encampments and rows of rusting RVs are a common sight in many neighborhoods. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Noun

Amid Butker’s recent struggles, the Chiefs signed veteran Justin Tucker to the practice squad Wednesday, giving Kansas City another option while providing additional competition for its longtime kicker. — Pete Sweeney november 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

Centered in large part around the Warsaw Ghetto, the novel brought to life the daily struggles, fears, and remarkable courage of Jewish families living under unimaginable conditions. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026

In the neighborhoods near Camping World Stadium, academic struggles often begin early, with most youngsters starting kindergarten ill-prepared for their first reading lessons. — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026

Thornton’s struggles, the Frederique injury and Dunnigan’s emergence have resulted in Fitzgerald playing cornerback instead of safety for most of the season. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

Durbin has a long-game strategy on immigration reform that draws from these earlier struggles. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

The starting center’s work helped Brooklyn withstand its shooting struggles, and the Pacers’ attempts to turn a close game into another uncomfortable finish. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026

BlackBerry shares have surged 142% in 2026, following years of struggles for a company whose formerly ubiquitous handhelds with physical keyboards ruled the smartphone world before Apple's iPhone and other devices that were fully touchscreen. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Despite some further, back-breaking struggles with ball security. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026