STRUGGLES Synonyms: 214 Similar and Opposite Words

struggles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of struggle

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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as in strives

to devote serious and sustained effort the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet

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struggles

2 of 2

noun

plural of struggle

as in battles

a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective a performer's long struggle to achieve success

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

truces

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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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 struggles

Verb

As energy supply struggles to keep pace with demand, those delays have drawn political attention and, finally, action, including significant legislation passed at the state level and a new bipartisan permitting reform bill proposed in the Senate. — Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Toxic haze has covered parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 Surveying the modern landscape, music-industry analyst Bob Lefsetz struggles to identify a contemporary musician who could reasonably qualify based on lyrics alone. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 Traditional cinema struggles to break through when the monoculture is a moonshot. — Luka Ladan, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 Trump endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu as the longtime Israeli prime minister struggles for an edge in next week’s parliamentary election. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026 But, the researchers say, artificial intelligence struggles with the messy realities of the cosmos, such as stellar flares and the natural pulsations of stars that can trick the algorithms into false positives. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Offensive line struggles Florida State had Miami quarterback Darian Mensah scrambling all night on Saturday. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 Premiering in 2013, Faris starred in the first seven seasons of Mom as Christy, a recovering alcoholic who struggles to maintain a job, her family and her sobriety as her mom Bonnie (Allison Janney), who’s also in recovery, moves in with her. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Noun

Ohio State could still beat USC on the road, even with a backup, considering the Trojans' struggles to win big games under Riley and their suffocating defense. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Kansas City officials have acknowledged the city’s struggles to address homelessness, with reports ranking the city as among the worst in terms of the number of people without shelter. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026 The Hawks entered the night riding their first back-to-back wins of the season, but defensive-zone struggles, sloppy puck handling and giveaways dropped them to 2-2-0 on their seven-game homestand. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Before his death, Presley had been open about his struggles with his mental health, depression and substance abuse. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 Presley, who was arrested and charged with a DUI in 2019, had previously been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, chronicling his journey on Instagram. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026 Presley Gerber had been open about his struggles with mental health and addiction. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026 Her struggles with mental illness, which led to a long hospitalization and visits to her home by the NYPD, led to the cold-blooded killing that rattled the entire neighborhood. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 Oct. 2026 And El-Sayed, while maintaining that the election should focus on Michigan voters and their economic struggles, has also embraced the larger implications of his candidacy. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggles

Verb

The film will follow a boy (Leber), left to his own devices, who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
While going through Verity’s files, Lowen stumbles on her memoir, an alleged confession.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumbles

Verb

Yet, this tense adventure makes a strong case that bad parents can still teach good lessons, even when a kid strives to live in opposition to their folks.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Katie strives to use catering companies that adhere to the teachings of the Make America Healthy Again movement, one regular guest says, which encourages the consumption of raw milk and the avoidance of seed oils.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of strives

Noun

Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.

— Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

However, more than a year later, clashes continue in eastern Congo, and experts say negotiations will become even more complicated with Kabila in a leadership position.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Main roads leading Yemen’s third-largest city have been closed amid rebel attacks, with regular clashes on the outskirts and overnight bombardment.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of clashes

Noun

As the diffusion of power fuels geopolitical rivalries, Americans are growing weary of entanglement in a fragmenting world.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Through schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood hustles, and family setbacks, Kev turns every disaster into a story.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Verb

Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.

— Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of labors

Noun

This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

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“Struggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggles. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of struggles

verb

noun

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