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

Startups should build evaluation sets from real customer conditions, messy data, edge cases and actual failure modes and be transparent about where the product struggles. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 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

As the Liu family struggles to maintain the illusion of unity, Xiaoliu’s body begins to undergo an inexplicable transformation. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Naru, the only camerawoman at Kabul’s main TV station, struggles to keep custody of her three-year-old son after leaving her husband, a serial cheater. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

In partnership with Orion Films and Amazon MGM Studios, the latest feature written and directed by Bassam Tariq follows Latif (Mahershala Ali), a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith, and fatherhood. — Malik Davis, VIBE.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Pressure on the power system has mounted as Cuba struggles to secure ​fuel imports. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026

Noun

Clancy wrote about her struggles to get newborn Callan to sleep, and constant worries of his being sick. — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Mookie Betts, despite his struggles this season, is a popular future Hall of Famer with a cool nickname. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Will the Mets get clowned on social media when Yan gives up a home run or struggles after doing a Michael Jackson stunt on the mound? — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Every form of leadership is fraught with challenges, transitional struggles and transformations. — Nishtha Sareen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Jamil has been public about her own past struggles with anorexia nervosa. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026

As for his personal life, Eric has been open about his struggles with substance abuse. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 July 2026

Jovic, who is preparing for his fifth NBA season after being drafted by the Heat with the 27th overall pick in 2022, is coming off a rough season that included injury issues and on-court struggles. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

Davis’ connection to Teva’s campaign stems from his own struggles after football. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 July 2026