struggled

VERB

labor, work

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cope seek strive tackle toil try

STRONG

assay attempt dig endeavor grind hassle hustle offer plug scratch slave strain sweat undertake

WEAK

bend over backwards break one's back break one's neck exert oneself give it one's best shot give the old college try go all out have one's nose to grindstone make every effort plug away take a crack take a stab take on try one's hardest work like a dog

Antonyms

STRONGEST

forget idle neglect

STRONG

be lazy ignore laze procrastinate withhold

WEAK

rest surrender yield

VERB

fight, wrestle

Synonyms

STRONGEST

compete contend grapple

STRONG

battle brawl buck contest hassle romp rough-house row scrap scuffle shuffle slug smack tangle

WEAK

bump heads cross swords go up against lock horns put up a fight

Antonyms

STRONG

agree concur make peace

WEAK

idle laze rest surrender yield

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Toronto was coming off its first win in franchise history on Wednesday when it defeated Seattle but struggled against a more complete offensive team in the Sparks.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

Coleman has struggled with injuries in recent years and featured only three times in the Premier League this season - lasting only 10 minutes on his only start because of injury in November.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Asian equities struggled to make gains early Friday, with South Korea’s Kospi briefly rising past 8000 for the first time before reversing course.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Researchers have struggled to reliably identify senescent cells hiding among healthy cells in living tissue.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

“What is it?” my mother asked as we struggled to get out of bed in the darkness.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman