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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Kansas played the Blue Devils close and made life difficult for Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, largely thanks to Flory Bidunga’s defense.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
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Parents in attendance shared appreciation for seeing teens connect with older adults, especially during a stage of life when meaningful conversation at home can sometimes feel more difficult.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In his 12 seasons, the Mustangs have played a challenging independent schedule featuring many Class 3A and 4A programs.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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This challenging late-season stretch comes with the Heat trying to avoid the play-in tournament for the first time in four years.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These included funding more rigorous trials for therapies and improving communication devices.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
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For the next several hours—the film, though extraordinarily rigorous, is not bound by the strictures of real time—Kornev’s persistence will be met with deflections, delays, and excuses.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Airlines are struggling to keep up with costs, and customers are becoming more demanding.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Exercise and demanding activities should be done in the early morning and evening.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Golden Horse Best Actors Wu Kang Ren and Tse Kwan Ho play the formidable Poon patriarch and son.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
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Last year’s Terrapins made a Sweet 16 run and lost to formidable South Carolina by just four points.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Middle linebacker is one of the toughest positions to play in today’s game, but Smith has the mental makeup to run the front of this defense.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The Senate map will likely get tougher for Democrats in future elections.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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