STRUGGLE

he closest in meaning to the word struggle is face.

• Struggle means to make great efforts to achieve something, especially in the face of difficulty.
• Face means to confront something, whether positive or negative.

Both words can be used to describe a situation where someone is facing a challenge and trying to overcome it. For example:

• Struggle: "The student struggled to understand the complex math problem."
• Face: "The athlete faced a difficult race against a strong opponent."

However, face is a more general word than struggle. It can be used to describe any kind of challenge, whether it is physical, emotional, or intellectual. Struggle is more often used to describe a difficult situation that is particularly challenging or demanding.

The other options are not as close in meaning to struggle.

• War is a very specific type of struggle, involving armed conflict between two or more groups.
• Thrive means to flourish and prosper. It is the opposite of struggle.
• Defeat means to win against someone or something. It is also the opposite of struggle.

Therefore, the answer is Option 3: Face.