struggled; struggling
ˈstrə-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition
struggling with the problem
2
: to proceed with difficulty or with great effort
struggled through the high grass
struggling to make a living
2
: a violent effort or exertion : an act of strongly motivated striving
a struggle to make ends meet
3
: tussle sense 1
during the struggle the gun went off
Synonyms
Examples of struggle in a Sentence
Verb
He has been struggling with the problem of how to keep good workers from leaving.
They struggled for the right to vote.
She struggled up the hill through the snow.
She struggled to lift the package by herself, but it was too heavy.
He struggled to get free of the wreckage.
He's been struggling in math class for most of the year.
The team has continued to struggle in recent weeks.
He was living as a struggling artist in the city.
Noun
the struggle for civil rights
There was a struggle for the gun.
There was no sign of a struggle.
It was a struggle getting out of bed this morning.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
But Humane also struggles to balance the scale of its ambitions, which means some narrative threads get left behind and others are only hastily engaged with.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
Broadcast companies have struggled in recent years, with their share of music listening plunging from 24% in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 13% late last year, according to MusicWatch, a market research company focusing on entertainment.
—Steve Knopper, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Leonard struggled to find a groove in Game 2, going seven for 17 from the field and missing all five of his three-pointers.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Some cities are struggling with less activity and foot traffic in their downtowns now, due to hybrid work and other factors in post-pandemic life.
—NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
This film highlights struggle, loss, family, and love, one of the most iconic films of Lee’s career.
—Ashley McDonough, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024
The language model space is getting increasingly crowded, and its players struggle to set themselves apart.
—Jeroen Van Hautte, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Companies were struggling to hire enough workers to keep up with customer orders.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
He’s helped with conservation work, especially with rhinos and elephants, in addition to getting to know its people and their struggles.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
And in a key role as a pub regular, Trevor Fox makes palpable the injury and distrust that can warp an honest reaction to a stranger’s struggles.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Despite the team’s struggles, Martino elected not to make any substitutions.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
For the Shiloh community, some said this struggle is about much more than compensation for an inconvenience.
—Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Even pregnancy has become a life-threatening struggle.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Either way, the result is that large segments of the population in the besieged Strip struggle daily to sustain themselves.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Beyond the immediate struggles of pioneer life, the Ingalls family held onto a vision of a brighter future – a vision that fueled their determination and guided their actions.
—Allen Buchanan, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
Philadelphia Pick: Cornerback Philly’s aging secondary struggled mightily last season, especially down the stretch.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
But Humane also struggles to balance the scale of its ambitions, which means some narrative threads get left behind and others are only hastily engaged with.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
Broadcast companies have struggled in recent years, with their share of music listening plunging from 24% in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 13% late last year, according to MusicWatch, a market research company focusing on entertainment.
—Steve Knopper, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Leonard struggled to find a groove in Game 2, going seven for 17 from the field and missing all five of his three-pointers.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Some cities are struggling with less activity and foot traffic in their downtowns now, due to hybrid work and other factors in post-pandemic life.
—NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
This film highlights struggle, loss, family, and love, one of the most iconic films of Lee’s career.
—Ashley McDonough, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024
The language model space is getting increasingly crowded, and its players struggle to set themselves apart.
—Jeroen Van Hautte, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Companies were struggling to hire enough workers to keep up with customer orders.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
Popular on Variety Keyser said the long struggle of last year was the end result of a long period of getting the union to be more aggressive in contract negotiations.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
He’s helped with conservation work, especially with rhinos and elephants, in addition to getting to know its people and their struggles.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
And in a key role as a pub regular, Trevor Fox makes palpable the injury and distrust that can warp an honest reaction to a stranger’s struggles.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Despite the team’s struggles, Martino elected not to make any substitutions.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
For the Shiloh community, some said this struggle is about much more than compensation for an inconvenience.
—Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Even pregnancy has become a life-threatening struggle.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Either way, the result is that large segments of the population in the besieged Strip struggle daily to sustain themselves.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Beyond the immediate struggles of pioneer life, the Ingalls family held onto a vision of a brighter future – a vision that fueled their determination and guided their actions.
—Allen Buchanan, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'struggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near struggle
Cite this Entry
“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/struggle. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
struggle
2 of 2 noun1
: fight entry 2 sense 1a, contest
a power struggle
2
: a violent or strenuous effort or exertion
a struggle to make ends meet
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