as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
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Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Breaking out a clunky, oversized vacuum to clean a tiny mess requires too much elbow grease.
—
Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 17 July 2024
Such a broad international agenda will require money, the personal dedication of the president, and serious diplomatic elbow grease.
—Michael H. Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 23 July 2020
Others, like this one with over 160K views, require a bit more elbow grease.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2024
Simplify your cleaning routine to create a clean, happy, and healthy home — minus the elbow grease.
—Anna Kasper, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for elbow grease 
Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 17 July 2024
Such a broad international agenda will require money, the personal dedication of the president, and serious diplomatic elbow grease.
—Michael H. Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 23 July 2020
Others, like this one with over 160K views, require a bit more elbow grease.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2024
Simplify your cleaning routine to create a clean, happy, and healthy home — minus the elbow grease.
—Anna Kasper, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for elbow grease
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elbow grease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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