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 most prominent example of this regulatory friction played out in South Africa with a gruelling, multi-year saga of Vodacom-Maziv deal.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 June 2026
Because family court dockets are heavily backlogged, critics say a guardian’s recommendation often becomes the final word, despite the grueling and complex nature of the disputes they are tasked with untangling.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
The vote sets the stage for a grueling summer of campaigns and advertisements over whether voters should insert partisan politics into the judiciary.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
The storefront was small but required grueling work, often keeping him away from his wife, Lynda, and their four children.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 June 2026
Because family court dockets are heavily backlogged, critics say a guardian’s recommendation often becomes the final word, despite the grueling and complex nature of the disputes they are tasked with untangling.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
The vote sets the stage for a grueling summer of campaigns and advertisements over whether voters should insert partisan politics into the judiciary.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
The storefront was small but required grueling work, often keeping him away from his wife, Lynda, and their four children.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
The agreement calls for an immediate end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and sets out expectations for the next phase of talks, which will tackle more challenging issues, mainly the future of Iran's nuclear program.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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This creates a particularly challenging environment for those working in contributor welfare.—
Emma Pringle,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The formula is more demanding than most people realize, and the research behind it suggests close friendships may matter more for long-term health than almost anything else.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
-
Why do humanoids still struggle The problem is that battlefields are among the most demanding environments imaginable.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Simplifi meets rigorous security certifications, such as SOC 2, which are part of a comprehensive external audit that assesses the security, confidentiality and privacy of a program’s data.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
McGregor’s recovery was lengthy and arduous.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
For the first time, Mangia acknowledged getting people to vote for an increase in sales taxes was going to take a long, arduous battle.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
All these years, the stigma stuck no matter how hard the family fought to change the narrative.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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In lieu of hard liquor, the winner of each round got a blast from a Champagne squirt gun into their mouth.—
Danielle Dorsey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
After another solid season in 2021, injuries and sub-par play eventually led to an exit from the NFL, but Robinson has made a pretty formidable case for a return with his play in his UFL debut campaign.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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