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

Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter. — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Starring Weber Yang and Chang Shih Ying (Yen And Ai-Lee), the film depicts a grieving family that struggles to recover from a fragile relationship after an unexpected tragic accident. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

In terms of the competitive landscape surrounding K-beauty and Western brands, Cowman argues that where the latter struggles to compete is the value proposition that the Korean brands are delivering fast. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

But flatter work, especially photography and illusionistic painting, struggles to hold its position against the building’s insistent materiality. — Katy Barkan, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

As William Jewell College struggles with the sudden death of a football player who collapsed on the sidelines Saturday, students have taken time to share their feelings on paper. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 1 Sep. 2026

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Tariff refunds have muddied retailers' earnings reports in recent weeks as Wall Street struggles to parse through the confusion. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

But there is something else tied to his Jewish heritage that keeps things in perspective — the struggles his grandmother went through escaping liquidation at the hand of the Nazis in her Polish hometown. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Las Vegas struggles to generate second chances without her on the court. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

New quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns in his debut as Penn State had two passes over 40 yards and 14 over 10 yards, a massive improvement from the struggles in previous years. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

But Mora emphasizes that the largest number of drone reports come from within Mexico, particularly in the state of Sinaloa, amid the internal struggles of the powerful cartel that operates there. — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Olympian Michael Phelps has been open about his struggles with mental health. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Bobby previously wrote about his childhood in his 2024 cookbook, Chapter One, noting that his academic struggles were offset by his athletic skill. — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026

Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026

Interviews will include new behind-the-scenes details about his personal life and private struggles. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Two yearshave passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery andfinally return to normalcy. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

The Dodgers don’t yet plan to set up a platoon with Teoscar Hernández in left field, Roberts said, despite his struggles against right-handed pitching. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026