as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
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Recent Examples of elbow grease
There’s also an impressive discount on the top-selling Fullstar vegetable chopper that can dice produce any which way without any elbow grease on your end, as well as this six-piece champagne flute set that’s primed for New Year’s Eve festivities.
—
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
For those seeking more elbow grease, one side of the pad is embossed in order to provide mild physical exfoliation.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Options that are marketed to be compatible with multiple dryers were tested across a variety of dryers with different shapes and sizes to confirm the claim; those that slipped off the nozzle or took elbow grease to lock in were removed from our list.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
To experience the preserve’s tranquility, visitors have to put in a little elbow grease.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
For those seeking more elbow grease, one side of the pad is embossed in order to provide mild physical exfoliation.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Options that are marketed to be compatible with multiple dryers were tested across a variety of dryers with different shapes and sizes to confirm the claim; those that slipped off the nozzle or took elbow grease to lock in were removed from our list.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
To experience the preserve’s tranquility, visitors have to put in a little elbow grease.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
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
Noun
-
China’s cabinet on Thursday rolled out a work plan to boost services consumption — from cruise and yacht tourism to elder care services and more sports events — as policymakers sought to boost the share of consumption in its economy over the next five years.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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Hinton’s work shows how institutions—from urban police to public housing and segregated, underfunded schools—have, through their practices, entrenched a racially unjust status quo.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In fact, Williams took great pains to establish that his primary objective is building the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), not tearing down a 21-year-old prospect, the Bears or the sport’s governing body.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Jan. 2026
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Those in their fifties and beyond require the same amount of sleep as younger adults—and may actually benefit from sleeping more to offset nightly wake-ups from aches and pains, medication side effects, or dealing with the need to urinate more frequently in the middle of the night.—
Emma Loewe,
Outside,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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