as in struggle
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
that third-world country is caught up in the throes of a democratic revolution
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Recent Examples of throes
Rosalía may be in the throes of her Lux tour, but she’s found some time away from her celestial serenading and intense, country-hopping schedule to join Team Bob.
—
Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 8 May 2026
On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin’s armies seized Chornobyl in the opening throes of their invasion of Ukraine.
—Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of his videos, filmed in a local studio or sometimes on the streets of Charlotte, are high-quality shorts showing him in throes of battle with classic villains like Killer Croc or Bane.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
That distinction fell to the Phillies who went into the weekend in the throes of a 10-game losing streak.
—Bill Madden, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
And in 2021, in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a whopping 85% failed to beat the market.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
But Ashley and Austin, bless their hearts, would live in the throes of a careless spring, with mismatched furniture and super casual pastel curtains.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
In this telling, Richards, deep in the throes of heroin addiction, somehow managed to come up with one indelible riff after another built around his signature open G tuning — taught to him by Ry Cooder — leading the band to create one of the best albums in rock history.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In its final throes, the company sold off its intellectual property and other assets for a measly $39 million mere weeks ago, leaving its once lofty $4 billion market cap five years ago long behind.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 8 May 2026
On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin’s armies seized Chornobyl in the opening throes of their invasion of Ukraine.
—Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of his videos, filmed in a local studio or sometimes on the streets of Charlotte, are high-quality shorts showing him in throes of battle with classic villains like Killer Croc or Bane.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
That distinction fell to the Phillies who went into the weekend in the throes of a 10-game losing streak.
—Bill Madden, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
And in 2021, in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a whopping 85% failed to beat the market.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
But Ashley and Austin, bless their hearts, would live in the throes of a careless spring, with mismatched furniture and super casual pastel curtains.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
In this telling, Richards, deep in the throes of heroin addiction, somehow managed to come up with one indelible riff after another built around his signature open G tuning — taught to him by Ry Cooder — leading the band to create one of the best albums in rock history.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In its final throes, the company sold off its intellectual property and other assets for a measly $39 million mere weeks ago, leaving its once lofty $4 billion market cap five years ago long behind.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throes
Noun
-
With another o-for in the books, the impending free agent declined to talk about his struggles following Monday’s game.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2026
-
In the aftermath, Mad's sister, Annabel, becomes a recluse, and Mad struggles to keep the family's bar afloat as the sisters become the center of damaging gossip.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Without losing a man or a ship, Dewey’s squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in the first American naval battle against a foreign power in almost five decades.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
But with a lot of hydration, proper nutrition, and Parks and Recreation rewatches in her down time, it’s made for an easy recovery routine for Rooney as the Frost fight to stay alive in the playoffs.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
The drive to pass a post-production tax credit bill in the California legislature received a boost Friday night when the California Post Alliance announced that the Television Academy has joined the fight.—
Jon Burlingame,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s often rumor of one or two more splashy late additions to the fray but that’s tbc.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
While China has mostly stayed out of the fray publicly, the war will serve as a backdrop for the discussions.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Bahamian authorities assisted with rescue efforts, but did not deploy anyone to the scene, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) told CBS News.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
That first strike came courtesy of Catherine Dubois, a versatile depth forward, who was moved onto Montreal’s top line beside Poulin and Laura Stacey in an effort to spread out the team’s offense.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throes. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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