as in failing
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1
as in stumbling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in striving
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of struggling
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The service projects will include packing winter hygiene kits for neighbors struggling, snack packs and cancer care kits.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Volpe’s drama follows Leonie Benesch (September 5, The Teacher’s Lounge) playing an overextended nurse struggling through a demanding night shift at a Swiss hospital.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Nora, a volatile actress struggling with crippling stage fright, is consumed by deep resentment over her father’s abandonment.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
The lower prices on the dairy staples are good news for shoppers, who have been struggling with rising grocery prices amid inflation and tariff increases.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Californians who’ve been struggling to keep up with their student loans could see a major change in the next month.
—Tiffani Jackson, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The rich are getting richer, the middle class is frustrated, and the poor are struggling.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggling
Verb
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The Packers are stumbling coming into the playoff with four straight losses, two of them via absolute giveaways.—
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Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
Verb
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For instance, energy-rich Saudi Arabia is striving to become the third largest AI market in the world, while leading players in France and Israel are pledging to lead in specialized AI applications.—
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Meanwhile, first-year head coach Bucky McMillan is striving to win his third straight conference title.—
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Verb
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Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner since 2009, is now looking for his eighth different head coach in a parade of floundering, flailing and failing.—
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After the crash, the driver can be seen floundering in the pool after being ejected from her vehicle.—
Verb
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That’s right, the Patriot did in two seasons what the Dolphins have been laboring since 2008 to achieve.—
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Mobley had been laboring to expand his range all offseason, launching thousands of 3s.—
Adjective
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While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
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In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Verb
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Hardemon, working with Miami City Commission Chairwoman Christine King and CRA Executive Director James McQueen, imagined a future that put Overtown at the center of art and innovation.—
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Not working with the federal agency is not the response the City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee wanted to hear.—
Verb
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Witnesses and local leaders have contradicted that claim, saying Good was trying to leave and steering away from the agent.—
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Imagine trying to build a sturdy wall with bricks that keep floating away into thin air—that’s essentially what happens when cathode material dissolves in a thermal battery.—
Cite this Entry
“Struggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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