1
as in to stumble
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strive
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
a performer's long struggle to achieve success
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in battle
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
there was a struggle between the armed robber and the shopkeeper, and the gun went off
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggle
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Detroit has struggled in this series not only with turnovers but with finding scoring options beyond Cunningham and Harris.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Quarterback play drew much of the blame, but Charlotte’s offensive line was a major culprit in last season’s struggles.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Verb
Mendoza’s job has been in question for weeks now as the team struggled since the start of the season.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Detroit has struggled in this series not only with turnovers but with finding scoring options beyond Cunningham and Harris.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
But there is plenty of franchise precedent for these kinds of extended struggles.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Quarterback play drew much of the blame, but Charlotte’s offensive line was a major culprit in last season’s struggles.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for struggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggle
Verb
-
During a routine survey in preparation for a housing development in Winsch, local authorities stumbled upon the former Roman camp in August 2025.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Clemson also stumbled to a 7-6 mark, a year after registering a 10-4 record in 2024.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Tampa Bay Rays are still striving for a Hillsborough County stadium vote in May, the team informed the county late last week.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Add in Michael’s goth love interest, Star (Maria Wirries), and the musical strives to capture some of the cult appeal of the source musical, the plot of which David Hornsby and Chris Hoch’s book follows closely with one notable change.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Denver police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man who investigators said shot and killed another man in a fight near South Broadway and West Maple Avenue, department officials said in a news release.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Voters will probably be bombarded with political ads and arguments from opposing sides as the battle intensifies.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Koh-i-Noor then spent 70 years in Afghanistan, where it was passed around by leaders who won bloody battles against one another.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In December, Chelsea’s players looked inexplicably unprepared for the intensity of this long-time rivalry and were caught out via defensive errors.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
They also are slotted to host an ACC opponent, probably the Blue Devils, and an annual rivalry game against Florida State (on the road this year).—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While Ray had to labor through the first three innings, the left-hander only needed 12 pitches in the fourth and 11 pitches in the fifth to complete five frames.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jessica Chmielewski, Colleen Gartlan and Ella Riordan led a strong defensive effort in front of Noone.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The effort will focus on solutions that can be adapted elsewhere in the world, such as sustainable finance, digital innovation and workforce development.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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City will have one eye on clinching the FA Cup trophy for the third time in eight years, while Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final clashes with Atletico Madrid will take plenty out of them physically and mentally.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The dog-waste donnybrook was similar to another recent clash in Brooklyn that saw a 75-year-old grandmother jumped and beaten for complaining that a dog walker was not cleaning up the pooch’s poop.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggle. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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