strive

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb strive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of strive are attempt, endeavor, essay, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

Where would attempt be a reasonable alternative to strive?

The words attempt and strive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

When is endeavor a more appropriate choice than strive?

Although the words endeavor and strive have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is it sensible to use essay instead of strive?

In some situations, the words essay and strive are roughly equivalent. However, essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of strive?

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strive The unschooled elevate personalities over institutions and juvenile amusements — having fun — over the quest to diminish injustice, to strive for wisdom, to display courage and to be guided by every benevolent instinct of the human heart. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025 Top Gear has always strived to keep the identity of the Stig secret and has done a pretty good job of it. New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2025 Many strive to accomplish this achievement, but few actually do. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025 Claire is organized, practical and always striving for perfection, which is very Virgoan. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strive
Verb
  • And their struggling offense is becoming a major concern.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • While Target has been struggling to grow its sales for months as shoppers watch their spending, the stretch of declining visits came as some civil rights groups and social media users criticized the DEI decision and urged shoppers to spend their money elsewhere.
    Gabrielle Fonrouge,Melissa Repko, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • President Donald Trump and his allies in power are trying to erect an authoritarian Mafia state like the one Vladimir Putin and his cronies established in Russia.
    Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Nico Williams will try to get Athletic Club's offensive attack going in this matchup.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Then there are interviews, scoops, and other kinds of highly specific reporting; a reporter might labor for months to unearth new information, only for A.I. to hoover it up and fold it into some bland summary.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Tribal leaders have long labored to be treated as equals by American politicians.
    Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The new initiative comes as the Italian island attempts to curb overtourism by implementing a digital reservation system on various beaches.
    Ashley J. DiMella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Left unclear is whether Bukele will use the exclusive setting to attempt to request relief on Trump’s 10% across-the-board tariff, which could push up El Salvador’s historically low inflation rate, a data point Bukele has been trumpeting on social media.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • By then, Reggie was 31, had graduated college and was working for a pharmaceutical company near San Antonio.
    Paul LaRosa, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Tan was most recently president of Loewe Asia, and has worked for a host of European luxury brands out of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The end of the first season saw Dream (Tom Sturridge) endeavor to become a gentler overlord of the Dreaming; meanwhile, Gwendoline Christie's malevolent Lucifer Morningstar plots with Roger Allam's Lord Azazel to foil Dream's plans, and wreak havoc on the entire waking world.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Trump’s two Republican predecessors, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, endeavored to make peace with the size of the federal government, with the former agreeing to tax increases and the latter arguing that it could be directed to conservative ends.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strive. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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