1
as in struggling
to devote serious and sustained effort
not only must we strive for peace in time of war, we must strive mightily to maintain that peace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trying
to make an effort to do
let us strive to make the most of this opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of striving
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
These towers trace a geography of 21st-century striving, stretching from East Asia to the Gulf and North America.
—Karina Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
Their presence is an expression of human striving, not political provocation.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
And taken wholesale, both arguments could be enlisted to support more unhealthy striving, less peace on earth.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City yesterday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Thursday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Thursday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Born in San Francisco in 1916 to a cold and aloof father and a striving, intense mother, McNamara demonstrated from an early age his intellectual prowess and his endless capacity for hard work.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026
As for the Cavaliers, their partnership with The Realest involves both organizations striving to achieve two goals.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Veering between striving and settling, a person caught in the greatness trap struggles to admire the best without making everything else seem worse.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Conor, Rian, Shiv, Patrick and Oli are striving to do better than their parents even as disappointment calcifies in the air around them.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Scientists are striving for a definitive answer.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
The world cracked open, and now everyone’s striving to fit the jagged pieces back into a box called civilized society.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
After the shocking results of the 2024 election, seven friends split between Black Democrats and Black Republicans gather for dinner to debate American politics, striving to find common ground over food, drinks, and laughter.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And as Enheduanna, Plato and Aristotle remind us, there are elements of writing that may always be unique to embodied, thinking beings striving to move souls.
—Ryan Leack, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
Noun
Such foolhardy male striving, the movie suggests, is all too often destructive.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
These towers trace a geography of 21st-century striving, stretching from East Asia to the Gulf and North America.
—Karina Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
Their presence is an expression of human striving, not political provocation.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
And taken wholesale, both arguments could be enlisted to support more unhealthy striving, less peace on earth.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City yesterday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Thursday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2026
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Thursday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Born in San Francisco in 1916 to a cold and aloof father and a striving, intense mother, McNamara demonstrated from an early age his intellectual prowess and his endless capacity for hard work.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
The multi-million dollar production process on this asset alone showcases the level of detail that Xbox is striving to achieve with this game, according to Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026
As for the Cavaliers, their partnership with The Realest involves both organizations striving to achieve two goals.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Veering between striving and settling, a person caught in the greatness trap struggles to admire the best without making everything else seem worse.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Conor, Rian, Shiv, Patrick and Oli are striving to do better than their parents even as disappointment calcifies in the air around them.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Scientists are striving for a definitive answer.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
The world cracked open, and now everyone’s striving to fit the jagged pieces back into a box called civilized society.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
After the shocking results of the 2024 election, seven friends split between Black Democrats and Black Republicans gather for dinner to debate American politics, striving to find common ground over food, drinks, and laughter.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And as Enheduanna, Plato and Aristotle remind us, there are elements of writing that may always be unique to embodied, thinking beings striving to move souls.
—Ryan Leack, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for striving
Noun
-
The record of my thinking is right there in the open, teaching me tolerance for my fumbling, training me not to hide my struggle behind a seamless façade of digital perfection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Last week, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office announced the jail will stop accepting most misdemeanor arrestees beginning July 1, pointing to struggles with the conditions at the jail and struggles dealing with overcrowding.—
Madeline Montgomery,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
1 June 2026
-
Hezbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
So, the Navy is forging ahead trying to make the best of ships its leaders didn’t want just a few years ago.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Or there might be a new coaching staff trying to create some buzz.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
On the second turn, my full-size tractor sank deep into the mud, and any attempt at freeing it merely dug it in deeper.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
28 May 2026
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As the snakes leap, jump and slither in a bid to escape, Kennedy manages to grab one in each hand, narrowly dodging their attempts to snag a mouthful of his skin.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
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With evacuation shelters reaching capacity as more than 40,000 people were asked to leave their homes, officials laboring to prevent an explosion at a crippled chemical tank in Garden Grove reported tentative progress Sunday in ending the crisis.—
Deborah Netburn,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Ishtayeh was attempting to cross from the West Bank to Israel.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Jordan Kutzner singled to left to keep the Sundevils’ hopes alive, but he was thrown out by Kroning while attempting to steal second base.—
Rick Hoff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Another big undertaking was Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, which was the first Buzz Lightyear attraction to open in 1998.—
Megan duBois,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Lean stuck with Spiegel for his next undertaking, Lawrence of Arabia, shot predominantly in the deserts of Jordan.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Advocacy is rising in a similar fashion around AI with initiatives like the No Fakes Act, a bill championed by SAG-AFTRA and others in Hollywood that is is working its way through Congress.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
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Rescue teams from Laos and neighboring Thailand have been working together in the last week at the site in a rugged area in the central province of Xaisomboun, about 75 miles north of the capital, Vientiane.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Striving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/striving. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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