as in failing
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1
as in stumbling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in striving
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of struggling
Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 7 June 2026
But as the two collaborators went on to explain, a superhero buddy comedy about a struggling actor that’s as interested in the logistics of auditions as saving the universe is a tough sell for any brand.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 June 2026
Last summer, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was struggling at the plate.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Giles is struggling with the fact that the resurrected Buffy is leaning too much on him instead of finding her new path.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
Retiring San Francisco former House speaker endorses struggling supervisor Connie Chan for her seat, propelling her to a top-two finish against fellow Democrat Scott Wiener and showing Pelosi still has clout.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 7 June 2026
Apart from the fact that corporate buyers are struggling to find the ROI, the cheaper open-source alternatives do just as well.
—Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Shields played Erika Ford, a woman who was obsessed with Ramoray, the character that Matt LeBlanc's struggling Joey portrayed on Days of Our Lives —in universe, at least.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 1 June 2026
Adjective
Their goal is to release them back into the wild to help restore struggling populations.
—Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Even as Sand downplays party politics, Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
But as the two collaborators went on to explain, a superhero buddy comedy about a struggling actor that’s as interested in the logistics of auditions as saving the universe is a tough sell for any brand.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 June 2026
Last summer, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was struggling at the plate.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Giles is struggling with the fact that the resurrected Buffy is leaning too much on him instead of finding her new path.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
Retiring San Francisco former House speaker endorses struggling supervisor Connie Chan for her seat, propelling her to a top-two finish against fellow Democrat Scott Wiener and showing Pelosi still has clout.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 7 June 2026
Apart from the fact that corporate buyers are struggling to find the ROI, the cheaper open-source alternatives do just as well.
—Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Shields played Erika Ford, a woman who was obsessed with Ramoray, the character that Matt LeBlanc's struggling Joey portrayed on Days of Our Lives —in universe, at least.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggling
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This includes people who do not know each other and who did not coordinate with one another to gather all somehow separately, hearing about Manhattanhenge (or simply stumbling across the crowd) and enjoying the view together.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
-
The video then shows Henderson stumbling towards a wall in the area, where someone can be seen calling for help.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The multi-million dollar production process on this asset alone showcases the level of detail that Xbox is striving to achieve with this game, according to Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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As for the Cavaliers, their partnership with The Realest involves both organizations striving to achieve two goals.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Before Tan took over as CEO in March 2025 , the foundry business was floundering, trying to do many things at once.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Max Muncy also went deep as Los Angeles bounced back to take the three-game series after floundering late in a 4-3 loss Saturday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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With evacuation shelters reaching capacity as more than 40,000 people were asked to leave their homes, officials laboring to prevent an explosion at a crippled chemical tank in Garden Grove reported tentative progress Sunday in ending the crisis.—
Deborah Netburn,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
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Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Verb
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Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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The unemployment rate among young people is about twice as high as the national average; and 40% of college grads who are working have taken jobs that don't require a college degree, like temporary or part-time gigs.—
David Pogue,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggling. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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