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
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and apply the elbow grease.
—
Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
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Weber
Other people have their own methods, but my preference for cleaning griddles tends to use more steam than elbow grease.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 6 Aug. 2025
Spin scrubbers offer a serious boost in power, helping to lift stubborn stains, soap scum, hard water buildup, and kitchen messes that would otherwise require a lot of elbow grease.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 July 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
Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
Weber Griddle Scraper $22 $19 (14% off) Amazon $19
Weber
Other people have their own methods, but my preference for cleaning griddles tends to use more steam than elbow grease.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 6 Aug. 2025
Spin scrubbers offer a serious boost in power, helping to lift stubborn stains, soap scum, hard water buildup, and kitchen messes that would otherwise require a lot of elbow grease.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 July 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
-
That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
As companies pour trillions into transformation efforts, few see lasting results.—
Jana Werner,
Harvard Business Review,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But the organization needs resources to sustain its essential work and to achieve its laudable goal of ending elder hunger in the city in the next 15 years.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2025
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Many people took the day off from work and brought their children to take part in the festivities.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The movie takes pains to illustrate how the possible end of the world will begin like any other day.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Colleagues who failed to take similar pains earned his everlasting disdain.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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