Strive and wrestle with are useful alternatives to struggle as a verb; difficulty and ordeal work for some noun uses. For example: We are wrestling with the question of how to divide the work fairly. Choose by meaning: effort, an obstacle, hardship, and physical conflict are different kinds of struggle.
These 32 alternatives include at least four example sentences each, giving you 128 examples for presentations, messages, reports, and everyday conversation. Some are close synonyms; others are paraphrases or choices for a particular meaning. Choose the wording that fits your sentence and the tone you intend.
Strive means make a strong effort toward a goal. Use strive to do something or strive for something; it emphasises effort more than inability. It can describe a continuing professional aim even when no serious obstacle is present. In a progress update, strive to improve expresses effort without implying that the person is unable to perform the task.
Use strive with the meaning shown in this example.
We strive to make every session accessible.
She strove for a clearer explanation of the findings.
The team strives to respond to questions promptly.
She strives to make her examples relevant to the audience.
2. Labour
Labour means work with considerable effort. In the learning or task sense, labour over something stresses difficulty and can sound more literary than struggle. Use labour over for a piece of work and labour to for the action being attempted. This spelling fits British prose; the intensity may be excessive for a straightforward adjustment to a document.
Use labour with the meaning shown in this example.
He laboured over the final paragraph of the report.
We laboured to finish the display before the doors opened.
She laboured over the unfamiliar calculations.
I laboured to make the two accounts consistent without losing the detail.
3. Toil
Toil means work hard over a sustained period. It suggests tiring labour and suits a stronger description than an ordinary challenging task. Toil at a task or toil to complete it emphasises effort that takes time. It can fit a narrative about demanding work, but may make an ordinary review sound unnecessarily strenuous or dramatic.
The volunteers toiled through the afternoon to clear the hall.
He toiled over the manuscript for months.
The crew toiled in the heat to prepare the outdoor stage.
She toiled at the display until every label was readable.
4. Grapple with
Grapple with means work seriously on a difficult idea or problem. It also has a physical wrestling sense, so name the issue in an abstract sentence. It is useful when the issue is genuinely complex rather than merely unfamiliar. Follow with the concept or obstacle, and add a concrete next step when using it in a request for support.
Use grapple with with the meaning shown in this example.
The committee grappled with the question of fair access.
I am grappling with the distinction between the two measures.
They grappled with several conflicting requirements.
We are grappling with how to compare results from very different groups.
5. Wrestle with
Wrestle with means try to resolve a difficult question, choice, or problem. It is vivid but common in professional discussion. Wrestle with a question fits reflective writing and collaborative discussion. It implies active thought, not automatically indecision, so explain what makes the choice difficult if the audience needs more than a general description.
We are wrestling with how to divide the available time.
She wrestled with the decision to cancel the session.
The writer wrestled with a complicated opening.
He wrestled with whether to shorten the introduction or remove an example.
6. Battle
Battle means work against a serious obstacle or opposition. It is stronger than struggle and can make an ordinary inconvenience sound dramatic. Battle with identifies the obstacle, while battle to identifies the desired action. Because the word is forceful, have difficulty may be better for routine trouble or a sensitive assessment of a learner’s progress.
Use battle with the meaning shown in this example.
The team battled to restore the service before morning.
He battled with repeated equipment failures.
The organisers battled against a shortage of volunteers.
We battled to keep the equipment working during the outdoor session.
Encounter difficulty or work against an obstacle
7. Have difficulty
Have difficulty is a neutral alternative that states the problem without drama. Use have difficulty with a noun or have difficulty doing something. This is useful in a practical help request because it avoids a broad negative judgement. Difficulty doing an action is natural; difficulty to do it is usually less idiomatic in this construction.
I have difficulty hearing questions from the back of the room.
She had difficulty with the new registration form.
The trainees had difficulty following the final step.
I had difficulty matching the new labels to the old records.
8. Find it hard
Find it hard is a natural conversational replacement. Use find it hard to do something; it can soften a statement about another person’s performance. The phrase centres on the person’s experience and allows a clear infinitive after to. It can identify a task that needs support without suggesting that everyone would find the task equally demanding.
Use find it hard with the meaning shown in this example.
I find it hard to read the small labels on that chart.
He found it hard to speak without rushing.
We find it hard to compare the results from different periods.
She found it hard to answer while several people were speaking at once.
9. Contend with
Contend with means deal with an obstacle or challenging condition. It names what someone is up against without saying that they are failing. Use it for an external condition such as noise, delays, or competing demands. It does not claim that the person overcame the obstacle, so add the eventual outcome separately if that matters.
The organisers had to contend with a sudden change of venue.
We are contending with missing records from the first week.
She contended with interruptions throughout the interview.
The speakers contended with an unreliable connection throughout the remote session.
10. Face challenges
Face challenges describes encountering difficulties. It is broad, so follow it with the specific obstacle instead of leaving it as a vague assessment. Follow the general phrase with the cause or practical effect. It can frame a difficulty neutrally, but should not conceal serious deprivation or harm behind broad language about development and personal opportunity.
Use face challenges with the meaning shown in this example.
The team faces challenges in recruiting evening volunteers.
She faced challenges when adapting the material for beginners.
We face challenges because the two systems record dates differently.
We face challenges in keeping the service open because evening cover is limited.
11. Flounder
Flounder means have trouble making progress or knowing what to do. It suggests confusion and is stronger criticism than merely having difficulty. It can be useful in self-description, but may sound harsh when labelling another person’s response. Name the observable difficulty instead when the purpose is supportive feedback rather than critical narrative or analysis.
He floundered when the panel asked for supporting evidence.
The group floundered without a clear decision maker.
I began to flounder after losing my place in the notes.
The discussion floundered when no one could explain who owned the next step.
12. Fight to
Fight to means make a determined effort to achieve or preserve something. It suggests opposition and works when that intensity is justified. This phrase suits determination under pressure and can take a goal as an infinitive. If there is no substantial resistance, work to or strive to gives a more proportionate account of the effort.
Use fight to with the meaning shown in this example.
The residents fought to keep the library open.
She fought to be heard during the crowded discussion.
We fought to preserve the original purpose of the project.
The residents fought to preserve access to the meeting space.
Noun alternatives for problems and conflict
13. Difficulty
Difficulty is a neutral noun for a problem or lack of ease. It can replace struggle in a sentence such as Reading the chart was a difficulty, though a sentence rewrite may sound better. Use difficulty with a thing or difficulty doing an action. The noun can name one specific obstacle or a general lack of ease, so a concrete description helps someone understand what support is needed.
We had difficulty agreeing on the final wording.
The difficulty was finding a time that suited everyone.
He described his difficulty with the unfamiliar terminology.
The difficulty lay in reconciling the two versions of the schedule.
14. Challenge
Challenge is a demanding task or situation. It often frames a struggle as something to address, but should not soften a serious hardship into an upbeat exercise. A challenge can be welcome, imposed, or unresolved; the noun does not guarantee that the experience is positive. In sensitive situations, check whether calling it a challenge understates what the person endured.
Use challenge with the meaning shown in this example.
The main challenge is keeping the explanation short and accurate.
Moving the event presented an unexpected challenge.
She welcomed the challenge of speaking to a new audience.
The challenge was adapting the material without leaving out the important exceptions.
15. Ordeal
Ordeal is a very unpleasant or difficult experience. It is much stronger than a routine struggle and can overstate a minor frustration. Use it for an experience whose severity deserves the stronger word. Ordeal can express distress without identifying its cause, so name the circumstances rather than assuming the audience will understand why it was painful.
The repeated delays turned the journey into an ordeal.
He described the prolonged dispute as an ordeal.
The families faced an ordeal when the service failed.
The prolonged uncertainty became an ordeal for the families waiting for news.
16. Hardship
Hardship is serious difficulty or deprivation, often involving basic living conditions. It is unsuitable for a merely awkward presentation task. Financial hardship is a familiar construction, while hardship caused by something identifies the source. The noun often refers to conditions over time rather than the effort involved in one difficult decision or task.
The closure caused hardship for households without transport.
The speaker described the hardship experienced during the winter.
The support fund helps people facing financial hardship.
The loss of the service increased hardship for residents who depended on it.
17. Conflict
Conflict is opposition between people, goals, or forces. It fits struggle when competing interests are involved, not every difficult task. Conflict between names the opposing people, duties, or aims. It can be internal as well as interpersonal, but it needs a form of opposition; struggling with unfamiliar software is not automatically a conflict.
The conflict concerned who could approve the final plan.
Her essay examines the conflict between loyalty and duty.
A conflict between the two schedules prevented joint attendance.
The conflict between speed and accuracy shaped the final recommendation.
18. Contest
Contest is a competition or struggle between opposing sides. It suits an organised rivalry or competition rather than personal difficulty. Contest between identifies the sides, while contest for names the prize or position. It implies competition, so it should not replace struggle where the issue is a personal lack of confidence or a practical obstacle.
Use contest with the meaning shown in this example.
The leadership contest lasted several weeks.
The debate became a contest between two competing proposals.
The final contest required each team to defend its recommendation.
The planning decision became a contest between two departments with different priorities.
More ways to describe effort, obstacles, and hardship
19. Endeavour
Endeavour means make a serious attempt to achieve something. It is formal and often takes to followed by an action. It can replace strive or struggle where the effort matters more than difficulty, but does not imply failure. In an ordinary team message, try is usually simpler; endeavour suits prepared remarks or a formal statement of intent.
We endeavour to answer every question during the session.
She endeavoured to reconcile the two accounts.
The organisers endeavoured to find a more accessible venue.
He will endeavour to provide the missing detail before the meeting.
20. Try hard
Try hard explicitly describes considerable effort without the dramatic tone of battle. It is familiar in conversation and supportive feedback. Use try hard to do something. It does not tell the listener whether the attempt succeeded, so name the result separately when the passage concerns performance rather than effort alone.
I tried hard to keep the opening clear and brief.
She is trying hard to learn the unfamiliar controls.
The team tried hard to recover the missing records.
He tried hard to answer without rushing.
21. Make an effort
Make an effort means deliberately try to do something, often despite inconvenience or difficulty. It is a plain phrase for personal or professional communication and usually takes to. As a command it can imply someone has not tried, so focus on your own intended action or name the support needed in sensitive feedback.
We made an effort to hear from the quieter participants.
She made an effort to use familiar examples.
I will make an effort to send the draft earlier.
He made an effort to understand the concern before replying.
22. Work hard at
Work hard at describes sustained effort on an activity or problem. It can express the effort side of struggle without implying that the person is overwhelmed. Follow at with a noun or -ing activity. It is useful in progress feedback, though it says less about the obstacle than have difficulty with a specific stage.
She worked hard at improving the transitions.
The group worked hard at checking the old records.
I am working hard at keeping the explanation concise.
He worked hard at learning to pause before answering.
23. Persevere
Persevere means continue an effort despite difficulty or delay. It fits the determined part of a struggle, but focuses on persistence rather than the obstacle itself. Use persevere with a task or persevere in an effort. It can be encouraging, but should not replace practical support where the problem cannot be solved through effort alone.
She persevered with the unfamiliar calculations.
The volunteers persevered despite the repeated cancellations.
I persevered in trying to find the original record.
He persevered with the exercise until the sequence became familiar.
24. Persist
Persist means continue doing something despite resistance, interruption, or a lack of immediate success. Use persist in an activity or persist with a task. It is a partial alternative to struggle because someone can persist without finding the work especially difficult. Depending on context, persistence may be admirable or an unhelpful refusal to change approach.
We persisted with the search until the missing letter was found.
She persisted in asking for a clear explanation.
He persisted with the rehearsal after the interruption.
The group persisted in trying to arrange a joint session.
25. Be challenged by
Be challenged by describes encountering something that demands effort or stretches ability. It is softer than be defeated by and suits careful descriptions of learning or work. Follow by with the obstacle or task. The phrase can sound positive, so be more explicit when the experience involves serious distress, lack of access, or an unsolved practical barrier.
I was challenged by the pace of the discussion.
She is challenged by the unfamiliar terminology.
The team was challenged by the change in available space.
He was challenged by having to explain the result without a chart.
26. Run into problems
Run into problems means encounter obstacles while doing something. It is conversational and useful in a practical progress update. Name where or when the problem arises so the listener can help. It suggests an interruption to progress rather than a person’s general inability, and does not imply that the issue has already been resolved.
We ran into problems when the file format changed.
She ran into problems while comparing the records.
I ran into problems at the final registration step.
The team ran into problems after the equipment was moved.
27. Be up against
Be up against means face a difficult obstacle, constraint, or opponent. It is informal and can explain what makes a struggle demanding. Follow against with the issue. It usually stresses the external pressure rather than personal weakness, but it does not establish that overcoming the obstacle is impossible or that a particular response will work.
We are up against a very tight deadline.
She was up against conflicting instructions from two departments.
The volunteers were up against a shortage of evening transport.
He is up against an unfamiliar system with limited guidance.
28. Have a hard time
Have a hard time is a conversational description of difficulty. Use have a hard time with a thing or doing an activity. It can be practical or emotional, so name the problem when asking for help. Compared with ordeal, it is less intense and should not minimise an experience involving serious harm or deprivation.
I am having a hard time following the last calculation.
She had a hard time hearing the questions.
We had a hard time agreeing on a shared date.
He is having a hard time adjusting to the changed routine.
29. Get through
Get through means manage to complete or endure a difficult task or period. It highlights reaching the end rather than struggling at every stage. Follow through with the experience or work. It can be reassuring in personal conversation, but describing someone as merely getting through a task differs from saying they performed it confidently or skilfully.
We got through the rehearsal despite the equipment trouble.
She got through the difficult week with help from colleagues.
I got through the final section without losing my place.
The group got through the backlog before the new intake arrived.
30. Uphill battle
Uphill battle is an idiom for a difficult effort against continuing obstacles. It is a stronger, more figurative noun alternative than challenge and suits a situation where progress repeatedly meets resistance. Use face an uphill battle or an uphill battle to do something. For a small temporary inconvenience, difficulty is usually more proportionate.
Finding evening cover has been an uphill battle.
She faced an uphill battle to restore the missing records.
The proposal had an uphill battle through the review stages.
We knew reopening the service would be an uphill battle.
31. Exert yourself
Exert yourself means make a strong physical or mental effort. It fits the effort side of struggle without necessarily implying failure or opposition. Change the reflexive pronoun to match the subject and use to followed by the intended action. As a command, it can sound judgemental if someone’s real obstacle is missing support rather than insufficient effort.
She exerted herself to complete the difficult revision.
The team exerted itself to prepare the room before opening.
I exerted myself to follow the rapid explanation.
He exerted himself during the final rehearsal.
32. Slog
Slog means work through something with sustained, tiring effort. It is informal and can be a verb or a noun. Use slog through a task or describe a demanding activity as a slog. It conveys fatigue and persistence more strongly than a neutral challenge, so it may overstate a short or straightforward problem.
We slogged through the old records to find the missing entry.
The final stage of the revision was a slog.
She slogged through the calculations after the office closed.
He described the repeated equipment checks as a tiring slog.
What is a softer way to say I am struggling?
I am having difficulty with the final step is clear and neutral. Name the obstacle and the help you need: Could you check whether I have used the right formula? This avoids turning a specific problem into a broad judgement about your ability.
What is the difference between strive and struggle?
Strive stresses determined effort toward a goal. Struggle stresses difficulty or resistance. A team can strive for accuracy without currently struggling to achieve it.
Is challenge always a good replacement for struggle?
No. Challenge can describe a demanding but manageable task; hardship and ordeal convey more serious distress. Choose wording that does not minimise the experience you are describing.
Choosing the right wording
When asking for help, replace a broad statement of struggle with the obstacle itself. I am having difficulty hearing the questions gives someone a problem they can address. For a serious experience, keep wording strong enough to reflect its impact.
Struggle alternatives at a glance
Alternative
Meaning and use
Strive
Strive means make a strong effort toward a goal.
Labour
Labour means work with considerable effort.
Toil
Toil means work hard over a sustained period.
Grapple with
Grapple with means work seriously on a difficult idea or problem.
Wrestle with
Wrestle with means try to resolve a difficult question, choice, or problem.
Battle
Battle means work against a serious obstacle or opposition.
Have difficulty
Have difficulty is a neutral alternative that states the problem without drama.
Find it hard
Find it hard is a natural conversational replacement.
Contend with
Contend with means deal with an obstacle or challenging condition.
Face challenges
Face challenges describes encountering difficulties.
Flounder
Flounder means have trouble making progress or knowing what to do.
Fight to
Fight to means make a determined effort to achieve or preserve something.
Difficulty
Difficulty is a neutral noun for a problem or lack of ease.
Challenge
Challenge is a demanding task or situation.
Ordeal
Ordeal is a very unpleasant or difficult experience.
Hardship
Hardship is serious difficulty or deprivation, often involving basic living conditions.
Conflict
Conflict is opposition between people, goals, or forces.
Contest
Contest is a competition or struggle between opposing sides.
Endeavour
Endeavour means make a serious attempt to achieve something.
Try hard
Try hard explicitly describes considerable effort without the dramatic tone of battle.
Make an effort
Make an effort means deliberately try to do something, often despite inconvenience or difficulty.
Work hard at
Work hard at describes sustained effort on an activity or problem.
Persevere
Persevere means continue an effort despite difficulty or delay.
Persist
Persist means continue doing something despite resistance, interruption, or a lack of immediate success.
Be challenged by
Be challenged by describes encountering something that demands effort or stretches ability.
Run into problems
Run into problems means encounter obstacles while doing something.
Be up against
Be up against means face a difficult obstacle, constraint, or opponent.
Have a hard time
Have a hard time is a conversational description of difficulty.
Get through
Get through means manage to complete or endure a difficult task or period.
Uphill battle
Uphill battle is an idiom for a difficult effort against continuing obstacles.
Exert yourself
Exert yourself means make a strong physical or mental effort.
Slog
Slog means work through something with sustained, tiring effort.
