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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Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Despite being born into a socioeconomically challenging environment, Muhammad realized early that empowerment could come from knowledge.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
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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After all those frustrating hamstring injuries, perhaps operating in a slightly less demanding role can play a part in avoiding another setback.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Legal scholars warn that revoking birthright citizenship would likely require a constitutional amendment, an arduous process involving approval by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.—
Tahar Rajab,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Taken together, these new polices would create a more mutable type of citizenship, no longer rooted in birthplace, or in the arduous and lengthy task of proving one’s worth.—
Patricia Lopez,
Mercury News,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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Keep a distance from tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2025
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Spanning 200 acres, Perfect Day Mexico is taking the Royal Caribbean guest experience to the next level, with dozens of waterslides (including the tallest ones across North and South America), the longest lazy river in the world, miles of white sand beaches, and 12 unique dining outlets.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
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 22 May. 2025.
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