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
Where are the accounts of countless hard-working business owners and employees who, at their own expense and with their own elbow grease, repeatedly remove the results of these constant acts of malicious vandalism?
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 June 2025
With just a few supplies and some elbow grease, your ice maker will be back to producing fresh, clean ice in no time.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
Plus, take the elbow grease out of scrubbing hard surfaces and opt for this electric spin scrubber that’s 42 percent off.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 9 July 2025
There’s even a rare discount on this Roomba robot vacuum and mop, which is the ideal gadget for anyone looking to thoroughly clean their floors without elbow grease.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 June 2025
With just a few supplies and some elbow grease, your ice maker will be back to producing fresh, clean ice in no time.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
Plus, take the elbow grease out of scrubbing hard surfaces and opt for this electric spin scrubber that’s 42 percent off.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 9 July 2025
There’s even a rare discount on this Roomba robot vacuum and mop, which is the ideal gadget for anyone looking to thoroughly clean their floors without elbow grease.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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Fundraising efforts and private donations made to the Kane County 4-H Foundation funded the scholarships.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired an emergency meeting on the cloudburst and subsequent rescue efforts in the capital Islamabad on Friday.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Nearly 50% of people report not feeling valued at work and only 24% of people think their employer cares about their well-being.—
Paula Davis,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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From 2019 to 2022, as the pandemic pushed many into remote work, global demand for employee monitoring software rose by 65 percent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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