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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elbow grease
Some offer ergonomic designs, but all just need your elbow grease to operate.
—
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 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
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and apply the elbow grease.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
To experience the preserve’s tranquility, visitors have to put in a little elbow grease.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 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
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and apply the elbow grease.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
To experience the preserve’s tranquility, visitors have to put in a little elbow grease.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
-
Her defensive effort led to a transition 3-pointer for Maddie Scherr that electrified the home crowd for TCU.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
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There is currently no information about the containment efforts for the fire and its cause has yet to be determined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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By 1996, Joe broke through in commercial work and got into television.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Actions define how Qira gets work done.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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