1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toil
very hard or unpleasant work
a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
the mother's labor lasted for six hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
His funeral arrangements were originally planned for Friday, but were postponed after his wife went into labor last week.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
Daedone sold her stake in the company in 2017 for $12 million — a year before OneTaste’s marketing and labor practices came under scrutiny.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
His funeral arrangements were originally planned for Friday, but were postponed after his wife went into labor last week.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
-
The rule has been expanded that teams must interview two minority candidates for openings at head coach, general managers and the offensive and defensive coordinator jobs.—
Mac Engel
March 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And this Pios team, the first at DU to ever clinch a third straight Frozen Four bid, might be Carle’s best coaching job yet.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Sacramento City Hall, the mother and daughter stood beside their attorney, immigration advocates and local lawmakers — many of whom were involved in a weeks-long effort to bring her home.—
Mathew Miranda
Updated March 31,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Of course, the usual efforts around going plastic-free and energy-efficient are in place.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though the system managed only a dim glow, Lorna was still grateful for the flick of a switch rather than the toil of refilling oil lamps and trimming candles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Postpartum hair loss is a common and temporary condition affecting about 90% of women after childbirth.—
Nicole Hernandez,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
How the robot childbirth simulator trains future midwives The simulator known as Mama Anne looks and behaves much like a real patient in labor.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Broadway production ran for 25 previews and 1,670 regular performances.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Books have always been valuable assets in Hollywood, said Rich Green, who heads book-to-film/TV development at management and production firm the Gotham Group.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps those June friendlies in Florida will give him one more chance to experiment, but the simple reality is that any Kane-less plan will struggle to get off the ground.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The waiver was established by the TEA to provide additional flexibility to go out of state to find qualified leaders to right the ships of struggling districts.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, the ink was barely dry when new revelations emerged last week that pose a fresh headache for Cannon.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Authorities said Koc and Alshmari attacked the victim, causing a split lip and headaches.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These questions linger as Ion goes about his day, looking for work, begging for change, and scarfing down a meal—moments that flash by in quick, propulsive blips.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
These achievements are linked to the longstanding work between the county, local providers and community partners, officials say.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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