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 trick to looking pulled together even on the most grueling travel day?
—
Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
One particularly grueling day, Hawke and Scott worked through a seven-page scene that required them to condense 25 years of friendship into a single argument.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
The start of the 2025 season was a grueling one for the Aces, who began the year 14-14 before winning their last 16 regular season games.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Annett underwent surgery after the season in December, and what followed was six grueling months of rehabilitation.
—Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
One particularly grueling day, Hawke and Scott worked through a seven-page scene that required them to condense 25 years of friendship into a single argument.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
The start of the 2025 season was a grueling one for the Aces, who began the year 14-14 before winning their last 16 regular season games.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Annett underwent surgery after the season in December, and what followed was six grueling months of rehabilitation.
—Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The stalemate over funding in Washington comes at a challenging time for the more than 40 million Americans carrying education debt.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
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According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As the founder and CEO of Shondaland – a media empire behind hits like Scandal, Inventing Anna Bridgerton and more – Rhimes balances intense storytelling with the equally demanding role of being a mother of three.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Thank you for your demanding, lyrical, and sensual body of work, and for your fidelity to the light itself.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The club faces an arduous task of convincing targets to join.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
If this were a Bond movie, these characters would cross the entire distance by air, in first class, in the split-second gap between scenes, but Pullman leans into the arduous business of travel.—
Lev Grossman,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The discovery of the solar cycle now moved Carrington to undertake a rigorous study of sunspots that soon earned him a reputation as Britain’s premier solar observer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Public markets offer transparency, governance, and liquidity; private firms, by contrast, often avoid periodic reporting and undergo less rigorous oversight.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the 59th minute, there was the familiar experience of a taller, stronger player (Andy Irving) trying to take a chunk out of him.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But competing with Swift is basically impossible for anyone, which makes this report a little hard to believe.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
26 Oct. 2025
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Potato plants can survive a light freeze, but a hard freeze below 30 degrees will kill them off.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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