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
Made to wrap around each individual lash and wash away with warm water, tubing mascaras don’t require much elbow grease to apply or remove.
—
Sara Coughlin, SELF, 3 Apr. 2025
For the ultimate cheap, minimalist, homemade cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar paired with elbow grease will do the trick for many tasks (though baking soda can harm certain materials like aluminum, so do your research).
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 22 Apr. 2025
This is not virtual, so prepare to put in some elbow grease.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Sara Coughlin, SELF, 3 Apr. 2025
For the ultimate cheap, minimalist, homemade cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar paired with elbow grease will do the trick for many tasks (though baking soda can harm certain materials like aluminum, so do your research).
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 22 Apr. 2025
This is not virtual, so prepare to put in some elbow grease.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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Botswana is also investing in mitigation efforts by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and promoting various energy efficiency measures.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
Noun
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The agency ordered Gateway Energy Storage to conduct environmental monitoring whenever the company handles batteries; safely remove, package and dispose of all impacted battery packs; and submit detailed work plans and progress reports to the agency.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
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The Importance Of Trust Beyond the technology, what really makes collaboration work is trust.—
Jim Bureau,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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