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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Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
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Nevertheless, holding serve with a 2-2-0 record on a challenging four-game trip isn’t the end of the world for the Sharks, who entered Tuesday in third place in the Pacific Division.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
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Denim and cotton can survive in rigorous washing, while silk and wool will need a gentle washing.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hospitals across Colorado are urging people to roll up their sleeves and donate blood as supplies drop during one of the most demanding times of the year.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Frank Bisignano, who’s head of the Social Security Administration, is the first-ever IRS CEO, and the acting commissioner is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—someone who has another very demanding job.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The service Aside from a formidable restaurant and spa, the service sets this hotel apart from other country boutiques in Sicily.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
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The hardy parasite is also highly attuned to threats and responds with formidable defense mechanisms — prolonging a treatment process that’s already months to years long and often fraught with other hurdles and pain.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The strategy would give OpenAI a direct hardware presence to complement its software and nearly a billion weekly users of ChatGPT, but faces tough competition from entrenched products without deep operating-system integration.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The marketing and positioning of actresses in their roles is tougher than it’s been in recent years because of the insult machinery of man-boy social media and its echoes across society more widely.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
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 23 Jan. 2026.
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