spadework
noun
spade·work
ˈspād-ˌwərk 
1
: work done with a spade
2
: the hard plain preliminary drudgery in an undertaking
Examples of spadework in a Sentence
She had her assistants do the spadework in preparation for the trial.
Recent Examples on the Web
These aren’t fads or fancy frameworks, but rather daily spadework that cultivates a culture of collaborative excellence.
—
Doug Sundheim, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
As with Joe Biden and Barack Obama before him — and, indeed, as in his first term — Trump’s flurry of orders is the product of a legislative branch that has been content to leave the spadework to the president, and to a presidency that has begun to take cynical advantage of that trend.
—The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
But the loss at the Mercedes plants will almost surely slow down the union’s campaign and probably force it to do more spadework to secure the support of workers before seeking to hold elections at other auto plants.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In this peacemaking effort, the United States would have to do almost all the spadework.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spadework
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.
Doug Sundheim, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
As with Joe Biden and Barack Obama before him — and, indeed, as in his first term — Trump’s flurry of orders is the product of a legislative branch that has been content to leave the spadework to the president, and to a presidency that has begun to take cynical advantage of that trend.
—The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
But the loss at the Mercedes plants will almost surely slow down the union’s campaign and probably force it to do more spadework to secure the support of workers before seeking to hold elections at other auto plants.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In this peacemaking effort, the United States would have to do almost all the spadework.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spadework
Cite this Entry
“Spadework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spadework. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spadework
noun
spade·work
ˈspād-ˌwərk
1
: work done with the spade
2
: the hard plain work that must be done at the beginning of a project
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share