travails 1 of 2

noun

plural of travail
1
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child

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2
as in efforts
very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain

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3
as in childbirths
the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail

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travails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of travail
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation

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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 travails
Noun
The moment was loosely evocative of Clooney’s recent performance in Jay Kelly, a comedy-drama about the personal travails of a Clooney-esque movie star that culminates with the character receiving a lifetime honor at a swanky Italian film festival. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Given the travails of Bessent, its contents will make interesting reading. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 That’s partly thanks to Holland, a smart, sensitive actor who, inside a stretchy suit or not, takes his character’s emotional travails just seriously enough. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 July 2026 Another young woman named Maurine Dallas Watkins reported Annan’s expedited travails through Cook County’s legal system for the Tribune. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026 The country’s tragic 21st-century travails provide much of the fodder for the couple’s drama in director Cyril Aris’ moving film, including whether to stay or emigrate, with touches of magical realism and whimsy providing levity. — David Faris, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 Despite their travails in Tehran, the atmosphere in the cafe felt lax, with many women not heeding the country’s law requiring women to cover their heads and the shape of their bodies. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 June 2026 Its current travails are likely to be a model for the nation too. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026 But through all the travails of a second consecutive 10th-place finish, developmental strides were made, tangible growth spurts for what could follow. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travails
  1. pains
  2. efforts
  3. childbirths
  4. struggles
  5. distresses
  6. labors
  7. deliveries
  8. strives
Noun
  • In cases that are considered to be too severe — such as when a pregnant woman at the center began experiencing labor pains — those individuals are airlifted to a nearby hospital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • California has taken pains to eliminate coal as a source of electricity, and this would be the first coal export terminal in California — or anywhere on the West Coast.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • Meanwhile, a federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department's push to force Google to sell its ad exchange, another victory for the company against the government's antitrust efforts.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • America's most popular league and its 32 clubs will honor the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, through a series of commemorative efforts in communities across the globe.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of efforts
Noun
  • Congo's has among the world's highest rates of both childbirths per woman and deaths around childbirth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Many women may not be aware at all that private details of their childbirths were shared with law enforcement.
    — Shoshana Walter, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of childbirths
Verb
  • Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Starring Weber Yang and Chang Shih Ying (Yen And Ai-Lee), the film depicts a grieving family that struggles to recover from a fragile relationship after an unexpected tragic accident.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggles
Noun
  • Pain, infection, medication side effects, and other physical and emotional distresses may be expressed through shouting, intimidating gestures, kicking, pushing, or punching.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of distresses
Noun
  • Teaching and coaching are labors of love passed down from Lee’s father, Robert, who spent his career coaching and teaching students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.
    — PJ Green August 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Exclusion generates the prestige toward which unpaid labors strive.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of labors
Noun
  • Patient safety advocates have pushed for years to reduce surgical deliveries, which can lead to complications.
    — Noam Levey, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Subscribers of Blue Apron and Marley Spoon have taken to social media in recent weeks to share photos and stories of botched deliveries, raising concerns about whether their next box will arrive as expected.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of deliveries
Verb
  • This is all while Venus in Libra strives for justice, balance, cooperation and relationships that feel mutually considerate.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Chesney called Martin an unbelievable leader and said that his energy will give people a window into what his program strives to look like.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of strives

Browse Nearby Words

travailing
travails
travel
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Cite this Entry

“Travails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travails. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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