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
Jurors heard grueling accounts from Barnes’ mother Charlie Postell, his childhood best friend and Hurricanes teammate Earl Little and Lumpkins’ best friend, Keisha Carter.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
At first, giving up soda was grueling.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
The Horned Frogs have a bye next week before a grueling four-game stretch to finish the regular season.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2025
That is when the gruelling road back to fitness began.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
At first, giving up soda was grueling.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
The Horned Frogs have a bye next week before a grueling four-game stretch to finish the regular season.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2025
That is when the gruelling road back to fitness began.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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This character was actually quite difficult for me.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
With launch costs extremely high, sending a large platform to orbit is challenging.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Their league schedule in the Southland Conference includes a challenging February road stretch through Texas, and non-conference begins with a high-profile matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Under coach Reggie Theus, the Wildcats will face a demanding non‑conference slate that includes road games against power programs like Auburn Tigers and Miami Hurricanes.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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These roles can be physically demanding, and you will be expected to stand for long periods, lift moderate weights and move quickly in busy situations.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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All in all, even a moderate approach was like 12-hours of rigorous cardio.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
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His label pioneered the industry’s intensive training system, recruiting performers as young as elementary school age and putting them through years of rigorous preparation.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The thousands of others impacted would have to file and administrative protest and likely face a long and arduous road to reimbursement.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
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In interviews with Rolling Stone prior to the resolution, Franco, Abrams, and Abernathy largely described Simmons’ apparent delay in payment as another emotional blow in the already-arduous process of legal action against him.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Developed by scientists at TU Delft, the algorithm can help perform tasks at hard-to-reach infrastructure, like offshore wind turbines.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
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Creatures crawling out of gunk, their legs extending, their toe-webs rescinding, amoebic eyes getting harder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As the day wears on, the crowd swells to a formidable throng.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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If host Point Loma was going to stay unbeaten and advance to the Division 1 quarterfinal with a win over Mater Dei Catholic on Friday night, Pointers head coach Ryan Price was sure his formidable defense would have a major hand in it.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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