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
Season 1 premiered in the summer of 2000 with 16 people looking to survive the elements of a remote area in Borneo, Malaysia, for 39 days while competing in grueling challenges, all while trying to avoid being voted out at tribal councils.
—
Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
There’s a lot of factors that can make the early days of Survivor feel downright grueling.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
At the mentor’s remote compound, the athlete undergoes psychological torture to accompany the grueling physical training.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
This includes the grueling Asgard Pass, which ascends 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile (look out for mountain goats and have an offline map handy).
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
There’s a lot of factors that can make the early days of Survivor feel downright grueling.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
At the mentor’s remote compound, the athlete undergoes psychological torture to accompany the grueling physical training.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
This includes the grueling Asgard Pass, which ascends 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile (look out for mountain goats and have an offline map handy).
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The big story Immigration anxieties and a challenging job market have sparked an online backlash over China's latest attempt at attracting global talent — a new visa program announced in August.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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His expertise could greatly benefit Ott, ahead of what is destined to be a challenging year in Phoenix.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The week before was so demanding with Manchester United, Napoli, and especially Arsenal.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Leaf raking is more eco-friendly as well as more physically demanding and time-consuming.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Endurance athlete Colin O'Brady, celebrated internationally in 2018 as the first person to traverse Antarctica solo and unassisted, is returning to the unforgiving continent for an even more arduous trek.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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Marc Márquez finally hauled himself back to the pinnacle of MotoGP in Japan last weekend, capping one of sport’s most arduous comeback stories with an almost flawless title charge.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The coins will undergo a rigorous conservation process before being given to local museums for public display, according to the company.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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During a recent appearance on Vulture’s Good One podcast, the standup recalled prepping for the rigorous audition process for a year while doing improv and working day jobs in Chicago.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Police described Taylor as a Black male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Front man Coleman cuts a tall, brooding figure, saving his emotions for his vocal delivery and occasional pronouncements on the importance of faith.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
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Whether the Jedi mind trick played a role Sunday is hard to quantify, but the message was obvious.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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