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 other competitions feel like palate cleansers; the Premier League feels like a gruelling march towards gratification.
—
James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The dog days of the NBA season have never felt so grueling in Denver.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
To embark on a race as grueling as the Dakar and place two of three trucks on the podium on the first try is an incredible feat.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Training camp brought grueling practices.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The dog days of the NBA season have never felt so grueling in Denver.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
To embark on a race as grueling as the Dakar and place two of three trucks on the podium on the first try is an incredible feat.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Training camp brought grueling practices.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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This requires the difficult task of collecting precise, real-world measurements of complex nuclei and comparing the measurements with the models’ predictions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
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While that process may prove difficult, the suspension option was hardly better.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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If some species can continue reproducing even under challenging conditions, that resilience could buy ecosystems valuable time.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Much of Shrinking revolves around people going through challenging times and healing through finding love, such as Paul (Harrison Ford) beginning a relationship with his doctor.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Going through a severe injury is probably the toughest thing an athlete can go through.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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More companies are dialing back flexible work schedules and mandating that employees return to the office part-time or full-time, forcing women into tough situations.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Brooks sat for roughly 10 hours of interviews over five sessions — a demanding schedule for a 99-year-old subject, but one Apatow approached with care.—
Stephen Silver,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
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The incident, blown out of proportion in his opinion, was, on the contrary, an example of how demanding the crowd can be at Juventus.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Dozens of asylum seekers like her, as well as refugees who passed a rigorous, years-long vetting process before being admitted to the United States, have been arrested in Minnesota in recent weeks, immigration lawyers and advocates say.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Every small business article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of business products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Until, that is, the wind shifted — turning what should have been a 10-hour trip into a far more arduous journey.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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Physical rehabilitation can be a difficult and arduous process.—
William Jones,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Bigger deals are harder to come by because of the current regulatory environment, Konanahalli said.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But Isbell runs the race on a stark and formidable solo album and a batting average of six wins for eight nods (prior to this year’s three more).—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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