1
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in efforts
very hard or unpleasant work
these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in childbirths
the act or process of giving birth to children
a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort
Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travails
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
The project is a labor of love for Meyer, who grappled with his own travails acclimating back to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
But this climactic sequence, too, is redolent of too many other films to name, as is a final stretch where the apparent resolution to the sisters’ travails turns out to be something else.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Whereas the title Amerika emphasizes the setting, The Missing Person points to the novel’s focus on the travails of a guileless hero struggling to find his footing in a frenetic new world.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a case where people who have already gotten to know these characters and their travails on a small screen (the show ran for six seasons) are happy to spend extra money to bask in their further joys, sorrows, and anxieties writ large, on a big screen.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The receivership situation was first reported by Crain's Detroit, which has also chronicled Holtzman's financial travails.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Entirely outside the symbolic order, nature goes about its business, taking no notice of our seemingly momentous upheavals, our dumb travails.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Bondi’s Epstein travails began on February 21st.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
Unlike his own travails under Cruyff, Lineker says that Flick’s 4-3-3 shape suits Barca’s current England attacker Rashford, who has five goals and four assists in 12 appearances since joining on a season-long loan from Manchester United.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
The project is a labor of love for Meyer, who grappled with his own travails acclimating back to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
But this climactic sequence, too, is redolent of too many other films to name, as is a final stretch where the apparent resolution to the sisters’ travails turns out to be something else.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Whereas the title Amerika emphasizes the setting, The Missing Person points to the novel’s focus on the travails of a guileless hero struggling to find his footing in a frenetic new world.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a case where people who have already gotten to know these characters and their travails on a small screen (the show ran for six seasons) are happy to spend extra money to bask in their further joys, sorrows, and anxieties writ large, on a big screen.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The receivership situation was first reported by Crain's Detroit, which has also chronicled Holtzman's financial travails.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Entirely outside the symbolic order, nature goes about its business, taking no notice of our seemingly momentous upheavals, our dumb travails.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Bondi’s Epstein travails began on February 21st.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travails
Noun
-
Colleagues who failed to take similar pains earned his everlasting disdain.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Like regular depression, SAD can cause negative feelings like hopelessness, worthlessness, irritability, and guilt; fatigue or reduced energy; a loss of interest in hobbies and activities; and even physical aches and pains (including headaches, cramps, and digestive problems).—
Maggie O'Neill,
SELF,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Later that century the rising importance of waterborne commerce for Europe’s maritime powers helped motivate efforts to map Earth’s magnetic field.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Their philanthropic efforts have supported a wide range of causes, including arts, education, healthcare, and environmental conservation.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In some Michigan counties, Medicaid covers more than half of all childbirths.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The show follows Snow's Sophie, who struggles to adjust to a new life in Texas but forms a close and complicated bond with Akerman's Margo.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Many believe if Gabriel struggles again Sunday against the Patriots that the Browns could use the following week’s bye to prepare Sanders for his first career start against the Jets the following week.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For all the revelry, there was a tough, discursive seriousness in the approach that Lang and O’Hara took to their labors in the late forties and early fifties.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
These labors are generally absent from estate accounts, though often evident in diaries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Every athlete faces the fear of failure and strives to uphold a standard.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Unity strives for timely payment processing, typically aiming to complete clean claims within about a month, with accountability built into its agreements.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
How Tielemans overcame early toils is often used as a source of encouragement by new additions who seem peripheral at first.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They are being told by their bosses what works based on data and research.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Carrie Preston has returned to reprise her beloved role as Elsbeth Tascioni, the quirky yet brilliant attorney who works alongside the New York Police Department to help solve crimes.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travails. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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