1
as in stumbles
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 strives
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
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1
as in battles
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
a performer's long struggle to achieve success
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2
as in clashes
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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3
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggles
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Harper, for her part, struggles to publicly defend a market position that’s based on a hunch and backed up by espionage.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Heading into 2026, leaders are still bullish on AI despite worries about a bubble and struggles to demonstrate value with AI investments.
—Harvard Business Review, 12 Jan. 2026
Yet Black Swan’s central character, Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman, struggles in ways that feel broadly relatable.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
Thompson, who lives outside of Charleston, South Carolina, still struggles with migraines and vestibular disorders that cause vertigo and nausea.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
Pine, who struggles with the ghosts of his past, leads a surveillance group called The Night Owls and is meant to stay out of the action.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
And the Bills’ defense struggles mightily against the run and ranks near the bottom third of the league in sacks.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Based on the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, this story highlights the struggles of a diverse group of women who come together to survive more than the destruction of their city.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Despite her struggles from the field, Suárez continued to stay aggressive but still couldn't find the net consistently, ending the night with 11 points.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2026
Through the two, Ronduda traces the struggles and aspirations of a generation hoping to be different from the past and actually being different.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Despite his struggles and an extensive criminal record, DMX was an avid advocate for God.
—Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Gary recalled interviewing a woman in Pacific Beach who recounted her struggles to get housing and medical care.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
Since becoming a star in figure skating, she's been transparent with the public about her mental health struggles.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Apple had previously delayed the update after development snags, part of broader struggles to introduce AI features.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
Unable to pay her rent, she was later evicted and now struggles to come up with the $1,900 for her new place.
—Noun
The film centers on Malu, whose struggles with unresolved trauma and a difficult child take a nightmarish turn when an inexplicable curse brings toilets to life as murderous creatures, plunging her into a bizarre realm where maternal responsibilities, loss and existential dread intertwine.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles
Verb
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Ennin gets up and stumbles down the block before collapsing next to a building.—
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There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.—
Verb
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Through educational programs, community outreach and strategic resource management, the district strives to ensure sustainable groundwater supply for current and future generations.—
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Zermatt strives to be a high-class mountain resort, but for active guests.—
Noun
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Following the Bork confirmation debacle—when the Senate, closely split along party lines, rejected Robert Bork’s nomination to the Court—justices tended to reach the bench only after passing ideological screening systems and bruising Senate battles.—
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From roster makeup to individual position battles to the coaches looking to exploit any advantage on the field, every bit of film is scrutinized to see which team has the advantage in January.—
Noun
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The investigation into the killing of a US citizen by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this week is being complicated by clashes between federal and local officials, with the FBI taking control over the objections of Governor Tim Walz.—
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The powerful Sun clashes with Chiron by way of your chatter quadrant and your habit zone, encouraging you to address a tricky situation at work or in your neighborhood with courageous calm.—
Noun
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The barbs thrown back and forth, creating headlines and fueling rivalries.—
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JSerra-Mater Dei soccer is among the better rivalries in Orange County sports.—
Noun
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There were still fights to fight and Perfidia’s restlessness and struggles adjusting to motherhood led her to leave.—
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From high-stakes budget fights to ambitious transit plans and a political cycle already heating up, these are some of the people who will leave their fingerprints on the year ahead.—
Noun
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Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.—
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For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.—
Noun
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Their world inside Parchman was defined by regulation of contraband items, the work they were told to do, conflicts with other inmates, and the corruption and neglect of the prison administrators.—
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Though there are no mentions in Woman Down of conflicts between the cast of the movie-within-the-book, Petra did butt heads with a producer named Allister Jones, who was behind the changes to the plot for the adaptation.—
Cite this Entry
“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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