1
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work
worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drudgery
very hard or unpleasant work
it took hours of pure drudge to sort through the junk in the basement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drudge
Iain Martin, Forbes, 4 Feb. 2025
But for those who experienced the desperate, dismal drudge of Forest’s three seasons in League One, the third tier of English football, from 2005-08 — and visits to clubs including Yeovil, Carlisle, Tranmere and Hartlepool — there has been a long wait for moments like this.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
While the House drudged through a partisan back-and-forth, top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate hatched a deal.
—Andrew Oxford, azcentral, 24 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Noun
In other words, exactly the type of drudge work that corporates have outsourced for decades to offshore teams from the likes of Accenture, Cognizant and Infosys.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 4 Feb. 2025
But for those who experienced the desperate, dismal drudge of Forest’s three seasons in League One, the third tier of English football, from 2005-08 — and visits to clubs including Yeovil, Carlisle, Tranmere and Hartlepool — there has been a long wait for moments like this.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Firefighters are responding to homes using snowcats and often drudging in by foot with shovels and hoses and digging hydrants out of the snow to extinguish flames, Munsey said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
While the House drudged through a partisan back-and-forth, top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate hatched a deal.
—Andrew Oxford, azcentral, 24 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudge
Noun
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The trade was halted, and ships carrying Polynesian laborers were ordered back.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
We’re told that golf balls fished out of a pond are worth more than these laborers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Your inner lover girl is dying for some time in the sun, for a vacation from your usual drudgeries.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
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The drudgery is real, even at this income tier, as the Miami Heat wind their way though this western swing of five games in seven nights, including Thursday night’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lahmeyer, the Oklahoma pastor, said pastors and Christian leaders often labor under the burden of expectations.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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The team labored in home losses to Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mahomes ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the fourth quarter of that setback against the Chargers.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Tech giants flourish or falter based on their decisions to overhaul themselves, often leaving tens of thousands of workers to pay the price.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association workers, some of whom don't have power at their own homes, are working 16-hour days to restore electricity in Mississippi.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The victims, all elementary school students, got into difficulty in a frozen pond in Bonham, a city about 60 miles northeast of Dallas, triggering a desperate effort by their mother and a neighbor to save them, FOX 4 reported.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The project also reflects Beijing’s broader effort to anchor long-term energy security with low-carbon baseload power.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Multiple royal watchers have claimed the prince has struggled to move beyond the fallout of his dramatic exit from royal life six years ago, citing professional setbacks and lingering personal tensions.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The congressman says one of his top priorities is passing a new farm bill, which has been tied up in Congress and could provide some relief to local farmers struggling with declining profits.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The toil and sweat that’s behind the scenes to make this happen is admirable, and the technology advances in autonomy are inspiring.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Although the marquee did not glow for quite some time, toil and hope were always behind the scenes.—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
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Zelensky is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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