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
-
Putting in the new chip was more difficult.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rest will be more difficult.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Cubs are trying to survive this challenging stretch as they have been decimated by pitching injuries.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In kitchens around the country, chefs are translating this novelty into dishes that aren’t too challenging to get behind.—
Jaia Clingham-David,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Binance has said that the firings of the investigators were unrelated to their findings on Iranian flows, and that the crypto exchange maintains a rigorous compliance program.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The women farmers say that the demanding nature of the work in the chile pepper fields discourages men.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
What follows this war will be narrower, harder, and more demanding.—
Nawaf M. Al-Thani,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Housed in a building with a dimpled façade that many say looks like a cheese grater, the Broad houses the collection of Edythe Broad, who accumulated a formidable cache of contemporary art with her late husband Eli.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
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Homages to Chile’s formidable troika are among the record 10 the festival has planned for this edition, said festival director Estrella Araiza.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There were others like it against Ohtani as well, showing the Mets are still fouling off tough pitches and trying to keep at-bats alive, and some standout defensive plays made as well.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The toughest day belonged to someone who didn't even play.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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 Apr. 2026.
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