1
as in stumbled
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labored
to devote serious and sustained effort
the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of struggled
Severino struggled with his control, walking five and throwing just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes before he was lifted after 3 1/3 innings.
—
CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The national team, called the Leopards, struggled as the country’s domestic league operated without support from sponsors or government funding.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Severino struggled with his control, walking five and throwing just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes before he was lifted after 3 1/3 innings.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Academic journals struggled to put out issues, stifled by high printing costs and staff layoffs, scrounging for enough articles to fill their pages and paying subscribers to read them.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In the video, a pair of women fled the scene while the thief struggled to get free, but he was held in place and surrounded by two other men as well.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Hitting was a major concern last regular season for the Rangers, who got middling production in terms of home runs (18th) and RBIs (19th) and struggled to consistently get on base, ranking 26th in batting average and OBP.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
In contrast, many low-income earners with few or no investments struggled to keep up as prices rose faster than their paychecks.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Why have Palace struggled to make in-roads on the counter-attack?
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The national team, called the Leopards, struggled as the country’s domestic league operated without support from sponsors or government funding.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Severino struggled with his control, walking five and throwing just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes before he was lifted after 3 1/3 innings.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Academic journals struggled to put out issues, stifled by high printing costs and staff layoffs, scrounging for enough articles to fill their pages and paying subscribers to read them.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In the video, a pair of women fled the scene while the thief struggled to get free, but he was held in place and surrounded by two other men as well.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Hitting was a major concern last regular season for the Rangers, who got middling production in terms of home runs (18th) and RBIs (19th) and struggled to consistently get on base, ranking 26th in batting average and OBP.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
In contrast, many low-income earners with few or no investments struggled to keep up as prices rose faster than their paychecks.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Why have Palace struggled to make in-roads on the counter-attack?
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggled
Verb
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The nearest Portugal defender stumbled as the ball came to Pulisic just in front of the 6-yard box.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
James, the Army veteran from Phoenix, had stumbled across it one night last June, while his wife slept.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lamarck surely labored over these Romantic effusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Texas starter Dylan Volantis labored through a long first inning, but a pop-out to catcher Carson Tinney stranded two runners on base.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Abbott’s use of AL16 as a marketing tool worked.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Randolph and Sullivan had worked together in earlier assignments.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Along the way, Pollan endeavored to find answers to some of the most fundamental questions of existence, like why is there a subjective self at all?—
Nick Hilden,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2026
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One month later, Turning Point’s flagship conference descended into recriminations over the very controversies and conspiracies that its founder had endeavored so assiduously to suppress.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Shortly after, authorities said a second 911 call was made after an apparent miscommunication when the utility worker allegedly tried to stop someone who was driving by for help.—
Erika Stanish,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
She got cut from a team but tried again in eighth grade and started to learn and enjoy the game.—
Charles Baggarly
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggled. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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