variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grueling
The catcher played in the first two games of the series, and an off day on Sunday would have given him two straight days of rest early in a grueling season.
—
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
That's relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
That's a relatively common decision for figure skating gold medal winners, who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
That’s a heavy dose of sarcasm for those who overreacted to Judge’s first few at-bats of a long, grueling season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
That's relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
That's a relatively common decision for figure skating gold medal winners, who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
That’s a heavy dose of sarcasm for those who overreacted to Judge’s first few at-bats of a long, grueling season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
Such claims of penury, however, were difficult to square with certain facts.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Without adequate feedback, support and professional development, employees are likely to seek a more challenging environment.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Engage your brain through reading and intellectually challenging tasks.—
Rob Williams,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the inspirational Moon glides into your 7th House of Allies, your expressive nature invites connection, and your generous spirit lightens tough conversations.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
One factor is that the Highlanders, a Division 3 team, haven’t faced the toughest schedule.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The hours were long, stressful, and emotionally demanding.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Wheeler coach Larry Thompson saw Landrew’s basketball IQ and physical toughness lead his team through some of its most demanding moments.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Early analyses have begun to link genes to traits such as drought tolerance and temperature adaptation, but researchers say more rigorous work is needed to confirm those links before they can be used to guide restoration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
Nicoletta Richardson,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Working with Dstl and the Army’s 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search), the objective is to explore new technologies to find ways to speed up and make safe the arduous task of dealing with high explosives.—
David Szondy
April 11,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Hours of arduous game prep was finished.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Say the hard truth gently, then listen fully.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That’s so cold, in fact, that water there is like rock here on Earth, as hard as granite.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In my view, the key obstacle to creating future generations of nonsmokers is that people do not fully understand how dangerous smoking is and do not realize the formidable influence of the tobacco industry.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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