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
Sure enough, 36 hours after an exhausting overtime affair ended, the biggest difference between these teams illuminated itself as another grueling game spiraled toward the finish line.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
And even for those deputies who don’t limp away victorious, the grueling gathering is a morale booster, a time to bond and a chance to party outside the L.A. County limits.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
The Anaheim Discovery Christian swimmer wanted to protect his sore arm for a grueling race.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 9 May 2025
The production process has been grueling but exhilarating.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
And even for those deputies who don’t limp away victorious, the grueling gathering is a morale booster, a time to bond and a chance to party outside the L.A. County limits.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
The Anaheim Discovery Christian swimmer wanted to protect his sore arm for a grueling race.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 9 May 2025
The production process has been grueling but exhilarating.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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Rust, a difficult movie to release, grossed $25k at 115 theaters, presented by Falling Forward Films.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
4 May 2025
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Clematis wilt is a fungal infection that is difficult to treat.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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Saving for retirement has become more challenging for many reasons.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
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On one hand, the problem makes a manager’s life more challenging by limiting a team’s available options to potentially finish a close game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Improving the air traffic system will also require the coordination of tens of thousands of safety workers in one of the country’s most demanding professions.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2025
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Unskilled workers handle physically demanding tasks like trench digging, concrete mixing and site preparation, and earn lower wages.—
Bahaa Chammout,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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According to reports, nearly four months after the wildfires, residents have begun the arduous process of rebuilding, with only a few permits approved due to the traditionally slow and intricate permitting process.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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Advanced cystic fibrosis makes even simple things like walking or showering arduous and exhausting.—
Laura Ungar,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Last year’s drought conditions that extended into late fall combined with very windy winter conditions and frozen soils were tough for some evergreens.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
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Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Members have included figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin and Martin Luther King Jr. New members are chosen through a rigorous nomination and election process, according to the academy.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2025
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Digital forensics demands rigorous methodology to ensure evidence integrity and reliable findings.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Built to haul small satellites to orbit, the rocket stands 82 feet (25 meters) tall and has an unusual design for a modern launcher, with three stages, each powered by hybrid engines burning a proprietary solid fuel mixed with a liquid oxidizer.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2025
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In Zones 10 and 11, the tree is evergreen and can reach 35 feet tall, but dies back in colder zones during the winter.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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