as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
dreaded the Augean task of cleaning the bathroom after an overflow of the toilet
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Recent Examples of Augean
Obasanjo’s return to power as a civilian leader was supposed to be an economic and political reset, a cleaning of the Augean stables.
—
Uzodinma Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Uzodinma Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Augean
Adjective
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One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The stalemate over funding in Washington comes at a challenging time for the more than 40 million Americans carrying education debt.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
-
According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The discovery of the solar cycle now moved Carrington to undertake a rigorous study of sunspots that soon earned him a reputation as Britain’s premier solar observer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Public markets offer transparency, governance, and liquidity; private firms, by contrast, often avoid periodic reporting and undergo less rigorous oversight.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As the founder and CEO of Shondaland – a media empire behind hits like Scandal, Inventing Anna Bridgerton and more – Rhimes balances intense storytelling with the equally demanding role of being a mother of three.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Thank you for your demanding, lyrical, and sensual body of work, and for your fidelity to the light itself.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
9 Aug. 2022
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Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.—
Natalie Jarvey,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Augean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Augean. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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