as in failing
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1
as in stumbling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in striving
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 struggling
Samuel O’Neal June 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026
Their goal is to release them back into the wild to help restore struggling populations.
—Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
—CBS News, 21 June 2026
But his struggles with dementia and Parkinson’s broke me apart like the millions — tens of millions of Americans right now who are caring for a father or a mother who’s struggling with this disease.
—NBC news, 21 June 2026
That’s not good news for the already struggling DC Universe superhero film follow-up to 2025’s Superman, which introduced David Corenswet as the studio’s new Man of Steel.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Throughout the season, viewers see a musician struggling to connect.
—Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Hernandez was struggling to understand what happened to his wife, saying police had not told him anything.
—Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
Being 44, having two kids, and struggling with extra weight didn’t stop her from returning to professional tennis.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Sophie is also struggling with her schoolwork and personal life.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Adjective
Although dozens of campuses across the district have had new principals every couple years, Licata and his staff believe this new round of hires at many of the district’s most struggling schools will be the start of major stability.
—Samuel O’Neal June 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026
Their goal is to release them back into the wild to help restore struggling populations.
—Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
—CBS News, 21 June 2026
But his struggles with dementia and Parkinson’s broke me apart like the millions — tens of millions of Americans right now who are caring for a father or a mother who’s struggling with this disease.
—NBC news, 21 June 2026
That’s not good news for the already struggling DC Universe superhero film follow-up to 2025’s Superman, which introduced David Corenswet as the studio’s new Man of Steel.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Throughout the season, viewers see a musician struggling to connect.
—Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Hernandez was struggling to understand what happened to his wife, saying police had not told him anything.
—Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
Being 44, having two kids, and struggling with extra weight didn’t stop her from returning to professional tennis.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Sophie is also struggling with her schoolwork and personal life.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for struggling
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
But stumbling into a town with a visual landscape that still shows Guedes' thumbprint was a delight.—
Matt Ozug,
NPR,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The overarching message is that spatial computing is maturing, striving for seamless integration into daily life.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
General Motors is among the Western automakers striving to match that blistering pace, by harnessing AI and simulation to dramatically shorten development times.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In 2020, when many saw in Joe Biden a floundering candidate, a loose coalition of black women activists saw an opportunity.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
The comedian admits floundering in his mid-20s and winding up behind bars.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The woodcut birth figures contained in these books were not images drawn from observation—pregnant cadavers for anatomical drawing were hard to come by—but were instead abstracted diagrams of the chaotic diversity of laboring bodies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Another laboring woman with the same image on her phone.—
Karli Swenson,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Verb
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Davidson is more steeped in Democratic politics, including working for years as a political consultant and winning a county legislature seat in 2023.—
Chris McKenna,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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These startups are working with a range of different non-invasive sensor modalities, including those that measure electrical pulses (EEG), those that measure magnetic fields (MEG), and those that use light to measure changes in blood flow (fNIRS).—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Struggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/struggling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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