strive

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb strive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of strive are attempt, endeavor, essay, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

Where would attempt be a reasonable alternative to strive?

The words attempt and strive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

When is endeavor a more appropriate choice than strive?

Although the words endeavor and strive have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is it sensible to use essay instead of strive?

In some situations, the words essay and strive are roughly equivalent. However, essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of strive?

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

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 strive The unschooled elevate personalities over institutions and juvenile amusements — having fun — over the quest to diminish injustice, to strive for wisdom, to display courage and to be guided by every benevolent instinct of the human heart. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025 Top Gear has always strived to keep the identity of the Stig secret and has done a pretty good job of it. New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2025 Many strive to accomplish this achievement, but few actually do. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025 Claire is organized, practical and always striving for perfection, which is very Virgoan. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strive
Verb
  • And their struggling offense is becoming a major concern.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Their economy is struggling, and the export sector has been one of its few bright spots.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Paramount Global is trying to merge with Skydance Media.
    Alex Sherman, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
  • And then… follow me here… the guy Kamilla was trying to convince that Shauhin was dangerous decides to believe that Kamilla and Shauhin are… too tight!
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Then there are interviews, scoops, and other kinds of highly specific reporting; a reporter might labor for months to unearth new information, only for A.I. to hoover it up and fold it into some bland summary.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Tribal leaders have long labored to be treated as equals by American politicians.
    Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When one player is attempting nearly a third of the shots and that player loses confidence in his shot, the entire power play is likely to suffer because everyone’s top priority is to feed that guy the puck.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The new initiative comes as the Italian island attempts to curb overtourism by implementing a digital reservation system on various beaches.
    Ashley J. DiMella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • By then, Reggie was 31, had graduated college and was working for a pharmaceutical company near San Antonio.
    Paul LaRosa, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Tan was most recently president of Loewe Asia, and has worked for a host of European luxury brands out of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Some people do pay, which makes the whole endeavor worthwhile for hackers, and which is why the toll texts keep coming.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
  • These days, many companies sprinkle the term AI into their press releases to endeavor to excite market players, but Cisco actually is driving profits to the bottom line.
    John Buckingham, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strive. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on strive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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