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
Houston can also take advantage of Sheppard and Thompson’s growth to manage VanVleet’s playing time and keep him fresh throughout a grueling season.
—
Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
Sunday’s event at the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office marked the most aggressive response to attacks on the state’s petition process in recent history after a grueling, months-long race to collect signatures across the state.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2026
The grueling reality of a playoff series without the high-scoring duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, so far, has left the Lakers needing every extra inch, players up and down the roster stepping up in their absence.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Marion Jones Jones’ rehab schedule was grueling — three hours of intense therapy every day.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
Sunday’s event at the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office marked the most aggressive response to attacks on the state’s petition process in recent history after a grueling, months-long race to collect signatures across the state.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2026
The grueling reality of a playoff series without the high-scoring duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, so far, has left the Lakers needing every extra inch, players up and down the roster stepping up in their absence.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Marion Jones Jones’ rehab schedule was grueling — three hours of intense therapy every day.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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The Aces scored 26 points off those giveaways, which made things even more difficult on the defense.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Schiraldi oversaw a particularly difficult period on Rikers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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But as challenging as these cases can be, the I-Team found the fight for workers' comp when a firefighter is battling cancer can be even more complicated.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Corporations benefit from the best talent without having to hire them, which is challenging and expensive.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Reliable Service as an Operational Standard Clients in Dallas-Fort Worth should expect something more demanding than friendliness and something less theatrical than branding.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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The dual-motor setup targets higher output and improved traction for more demanding driving conditions.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Many have traditionally mischaracterized nursing as feminine and subservient, but becoming an effective nurse in the modern health care landscape requires candidates to pursue complex and rigorous training.—
Nicholas A. Giordano,
STAT,
8 May 2026
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Every cybersecurity article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of cybersecurity products.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Nike’s arduous turnaround process continues, with the April layoffs marking the second round of cuts in 2026.—
Katie Abel,
Footwear News,
9 May 2026
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The project began coalescing last year, after the two had completed the arduous but clearly satisfying production on Apex.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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San Diego is still young, especially in the back, and is learning hard MLS lessons in real time.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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It’s often been hard to be a local sports fan in Connecticut.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Last month, despite Orbán’s formidable, long-standing attempts to rig the legal and electoral systems in his favor, Magyar won, in a stunning upset.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Stockton, who formed a formidable tandem with fellow Jazz superstar Karl Malone, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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