as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a documentary chronicling the lasting tribulation of Holocaust survivors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tribulations
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Dabis plays a mother contextualizing the fate of her son through the tribulations of his grandfather.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
In her trail diary, Zieber recorded both the daily tribulations but also the optimism of a better life ahead.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Detroit basks in the glory of resiliency, welcoming praise for its triumph over a series of tribulations — bankruptcy, political corruption, deindustrialization.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Since retiring from skiing in 2019, Vonn has faced tribulations that made her arrival at this moment even more remarkable.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
While the series is told mainly through Cameron’s point of view, the story is fleshed out by the individual tribulations of his fellow recruits.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
The back yard brimmed with raucous laughter and talk of high-school sporting successes and the tribulations of the Dallas Cowboys.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
SkyMed follows the triumphs and tribulations of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across the remote skies of Northern Canada, weaving together intense journeys with jaw-dropping medical rescues 20,000 feet in the air in the most remote conditions.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribulations
Noun
-
In fact, Williams took great pains to establish that his primary objective is building the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), not tearing down a 21-year-old prospect, the Bears or the sport’s governing body.—
-
Those in their fifties and beyond require the same amount of sleep as younger adults—and may actually benefit from sleeping more to offset nightly wake-ups from aches and pains, medication side effects, or dealing with the need to urinate more frequently in the middle of the night.—
Noun
-
Just as the agonies and inadequacies of the meal itself are necessary steps toward the glorious leftovers to come, to me the bird is simply a prerequisite for its bones.—
Noun
-
The victims of prejudice and inequality are always the best guardians of the ramparts that sustain those miseries.—
-
Falling support in Gaza Palestinian public pressure on Hamas has risen as the miseries of war have mounted.—
Cite this Entry
“Tribulations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribulations. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share