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Prepositions after verbs

Strive for, towards, to, after or against

Strive is most commonly followed by for or towards when talking about goals and effort.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with strive?

Use strive for to mean work hard to achieve something. Strive towards is also used for movement toward a goal. Strive to is followed by an infinitive verb. Strive after is literary and less common. Strive against can describe resistance or opposition.

They strive for excellence every day.
The team is striving towards a solution.
We strive to improve customer service.
She strove against unfair rules.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
strive for + goal

Working to achieve something

For introduces the goal or ideal being pursued.

Students should strive for accuracy.
The charity strives for equality.
2
strive towards + goal

Showing gradual movement toward a result

Towards emphasizes progress in the direction of a goal.

The countries are striving towards peace.
She kept striving towards financial independence.
3
strive to + verb

Following strive with an action

To is commonly used before an infinitive verb.

We strive to reduce waste.
They strive to create a fair system.
4
strive against + opposition

Resisting difficulties or enemies

Against shows resistance or struggle.

Activists strived against censorship.
He strove against public pressure.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
strive for
They strive for success.
aim to achieve a goal
strive towards
The project strives towards sustainability.
make progress in a direction
strive to
We strive to deliver quality.
followed by an infinitive action
strive after
He strove after fame.
literary or old-fashioned form meaning pursue
strive against
They strive against injustice.
fight or resist something

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for before a verb

Use strive to before another verb.

✕ We strive for improve quality. ✓ We strive to improve quality.

Overusing strive after in modern formal writing

Strive after is understandable but sounds literary or dated in many contexts.

✕ The company strives after growth. ✓ The company strives for growth.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The organisation strives ___ equal opportunities.
2. We strive ___ provide better support.
3. The movement strives ___ social reform.

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Frequently asked questions

Is strive towards correct?

Yes. It is common when emphasizing progress toward a goal.

What is the difference between strive for and strive to?

Strive for is followed by a noun goal. Strive to is followed by a verb.

Is strive after old-fashioned?

It is still understood but often sounds literary or dated in modern English.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on?

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