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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travails
Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Consider the recent travails of bride-to-be Lauren Johnson.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
Set in the late 90’s, the comedy follows the trials and travails of Chester (Dan Beirne), a cartoonist and Sonny (Emily Lê), a TV host, who are in a long-term, committed, romantic relationship until Sonny introduces the idea of opening up the couple.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Porkchop has persevered through her travails.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Everton will no doubt have ended the game content with a point, given their first-half travails.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
This biography tracks the triumphs and the travails of the twentieth-century Hungarian photographer André Kertész.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
After all, how many travails can one poor family take?
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026
However the travails of some of China’s biggest companies including real estate developers have weighed on the market, while deflationary pressure may dampen future growth.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Noun
Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, has been stuck in a malaise for years now in large part tied to the travails of its corporate parent, but, lately, there have been some signs of life, including, possibly, a new manual performance sedan.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Consider the recent travails of bride-to-be Lauren Johnson.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
Set in the late 90’s, the comedy follows the trials and travails of Chester (Dan Beirne), a cartoonist and Sonny (Emily Lê), a TV host, who are in a long-term, committed, romantic relationship until Sonny introduces the idea of opening up the couple.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Porkchop has persevered through her travails.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Everton will no doubt have ended the game content with a point, given their first-half travails.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
This biography tracks the triumphs and the travails of the twentieth-century Hungarian photographer André Kertész.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
After all, how many travails can one poor family take?
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026
However the travails of some of China’s biggest companies including real estate developers have weighed on the market, while deflationary pressure may dampen future growth.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travails
Noun
-
Grandmother explains how each plant helps humans ease aches and pains, as well as offering good foods like honey from the bees that drink from plants.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But the problem with utilitarianism is that just as the subjective, first-person experiences of sensory perceptions cannot be compared among individuals, neither can pleasures and pains.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In at least six instances, people have survived the operations, spurring efforts to find and rescue them in most cases.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Speaker Mike Johnson has previously been opposed to expulsion efforts and has argued that lawmakers deserve due process.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many women may not be aware at all that private details of their childbirths were shared with law enforcement.—
Shoshana Walter,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In some Michigan counties, Medicaid covers more than half of all childbirths.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The rickshaws have become increasingly popular in Sierra Leone, filling the gaps in a strained public transport system as the West African country struggles to recover from its 1991-2002 civil war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Residents need relief from high rates and the city itself labors under a hefty and ever-rising power bill, adding tens of millions to its deficit.—
Craig D. Rose,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, to not do so would be robbing yourself of the fruits of your past labors.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The executive said Kraken strives to make advanced trading strategies typically reserved for professional investors available to individual investors, according to Semafor.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Telemundo strives to stay out of the political fray, Garcia said.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Both were premised on the idea of frictionless ease, liberating their users from outmoded toils.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Travails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travails. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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