elbow grease
noun
: hard work
There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.—
Andy Shafran
Andy Shafran
especially
: vigorously applied physical labor or effort
Best of all, the metal handle is bendable, making it easy to defat liquids of varying depths. Kudos to a kitchen tool that spares elbow grease. —Grace Young
Grace Young Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence
It's going to take some elbow grease to get this counter clean.
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
Recent Examples on the Web
For those seeking more elbow grease, one side of the pad is embossed in order to provide mild physical exfoliation.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Some offer ergonomic designs, but all just need your elbow grease to operate.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Options that are marketed to be compatible with multiple dryers were tested across a variety of dryers with different shapes and sizes to confirm the claim; those that slipped off the nozzle or took elbow grease to lock in were removed from our list.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and apply the elbow grease.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
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Deanna Pai, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Some offer ergonomic designs, but all just need your elbow grease to operate.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Options that are marketed to be compatible with multiple dryers were tested across a variety of dryers with different shapes and sizes to confirm the claim; those that slipped off the nozzle or took elbow grease to lock in were removed from our list.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and apply the elbow grease.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elbow%20grease. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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