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
The formula will work overnight—and sans elbow grease—to keep your shower cleaner.
—
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Forget pluck, elbow grease and a little old-fashioned hard work.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Obviously, Valve and SteamOS are just a small piece of the Linux gaming pie, and most Windows PCs can be turned into Linux systems with a USB stick and some elbow grease.
—ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
These tasks take only a few minutes each when done weekly, but skipping them for a month or two is when buildup becomes the kind of problem that requires real elbow grease.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Forget pluck, elbow grease and a little old-fashioned hard work.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Obviously, Valve and SteamOS are just a small piece of the Linux gaming pie, and most Windows PCs can be turned into Linux systems with a USB stick and some elbow grease.
—ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
These tasks take only a few minutes each when done weekly, but skipping them for a month or two is when buildup becomes the kind of problem that requires real elbow grease.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell led the effort for Measure ER along with First District Supervisor Hilda Solis.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
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The project is being framed as both a preservation effort and a forward-looking investment in the heart of Chinatown.—
Maddie White,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Wellness gurus will also appreciate the range of treatments and healing modalities on offer at The Lotus Spa, from classic massages and facials to Reiki energy work and sound baths.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
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Rather than focusing on recent struggles, Mattingly pointed toward the larger body of work that made Bichette one of the American League's most productive young hitters during his years in Toronto.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.—
Angelica Kalika,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
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Acer was also at pains to point out the large performance differential between the RTX 5070 Ti and the vanilla RTX 5070, which sounds similar.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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