belabor

verb

bi-ˈlā-bər How to pronounce belabor (audio)
Definition of belabornext
1
as in to emphasize
to speak or write about insistently and usually tiresomely stop belaboring the fact that they're already in debt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly there's no need to belabor other people's flaws when you're hardly perfect yourself

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly with a whip he belabored a horse almost to the point of death

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belabor The gags are both belabored and feeble. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 26 June 2026 Apple launches perimenopause, child safety features During Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, one health announcement came fast — the other was belabored at length. — Mario Aguilar, STAT, 9 June 2026 Blame, too, goes to the Bears, of course, whose political miscalculations have been well-documented by us and others and don’t need belaboring here. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 No need to belabor the point—the emotions are obvious from the music itself. — Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for belabor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belabor
  1. emphasize
  2. attack
  3. lick
  4. scold
  5. do
  6. slam
  7. hide
  8. insult
Verb
  • In Philadelphia, police emphasized that the false submission did not compromise department systems or interfere with homicide investigations.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bajaria emphasizes that the focus is on developing regional and language-specific hits and to seed franchises that keep subscribers engaged.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasize
Verb
  • Talarico has attacked Ken Paxton over his long list of scandals in several campaign ads.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Saudi authorities later said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam also had been attacked, with few details.
    — SAMY MAGDY, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Carter is licking his wounds after the rest of the tribe sent Ana home in a blindside.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Typically, only a low-value male resorts to this behavior, turning to foot-licking as the easiest way to ingratiate himself with women.
    — Tucker Reals, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Others criticized Anderson for seemingly scolding fans and trying to tell them where to sit.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Now the older generation is scolding workers for having a different view on interview etiquette without recognizing the cold reality of today’s job market.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of scold
Verb
  • The makeup is top-tier, the Aaliyah swoop bang is swooping, and the jewelry accents stand out without doing too much, which is usually her weak spot.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • When the boy’s body turns up by a river, the wives’ sisterhood is split between doing what feels right and following their husband’s wishes and Islamic tradition.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of do
Verb
  • Earlier this month, 51-year-old Ryo Uchimiya, a chef at the famous Japanese restaurant Nobu, was parked on the side of the road waiting for his morning shift when a 16-year-old in a Range Rover slammed into him and killed him.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When an area on the ground is hit by the eyewall, it will be buffeted by intense winds, then get a break before being slammed by the other side of the eye in a second round of the storm's strongest winds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of slam
Verb
  • Rhys-Davies is the archangel Raphael, who hides the star’s light inside her heart, and Boneta is Joshua, a stranger with a difficult history who goes on the run with her.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Measure your numbers, work with a clinician and stop treating hormone health as something to hide.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • The league suspended Greenlaw, determining his aggressive post-game behavior violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(b), which strictly prohibits the use of abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures toward game officials.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Jewish critics accused Mamdani of insulting victims and fueling antisemitism, while pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a Manhattan vigil to denounce him for not doing enough to hold Israel accountable.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult

Browse Nearby Words

bejeweled
belabor
belabored
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Cite this Entry

“Belabor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belabor. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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