heavy lifting

noun

Synonyms of heavy liftingnext
: a burdensome or laborious duty

Examples of heavy lifting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The heavy lifting is navigating the weighty stuff surrounding Gordon. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 May 2026 Invest in pieces that do the heavy lifting for you, and suddenly packing becomes way less stressful. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026 Sturm did a lot of heavy lifting to steer the Bruins’ turnaround. Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 5 May 2026 Think also of consumer discretionary, with the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) also having rallied more than 8% last month, but Amazon — accounting for roughly 30% of the sector — has been doing the heavy lifting, Ginsberg wrote. Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy lifting

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavy lifting was in 1980

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heavy lifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy%20lifting. Accessed 15 May. 2026.

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