1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toil
very hard or unpleasant work
a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
the mother's labor lasted for six hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
Thomas H. Ruggie, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Albertsons is facing labor strife in at least four other states.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 3 June 2025
But those flashes were quickly overshadowed by an offense that labored into a standstill, isolation-heavy, drive-and-kick scheme that took what the defense offered rather than dictated its own course of action.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
These costs typically include labor, chemicals and other necessary services for drilling—expenses that can be deducted immediately.
—Thomas H. Ruggie, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Albertsons is facing labor strife in at least four other states.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Verb
Maui, Hawaii Why now: Since wildfires ravaged the island in the summer of 2023, Maui has labored mightily to recover.
—Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 3 June 2025
But those flashes were quickly overshadowed by an offense that labored into a standstill, isolation-heavy, drive-and-kick scheme that took what the defense offered rather than dictated its own course of action.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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Epperson graduated from Berea High School and Ohio University and had jobs at WEWS and WUAB-TV around a 1966-69 tour with the U.S. Army.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2025
-
In the first episode of the series, it is revealed that 10 years ago, Gi-hun was laid off from an assembly job at Dragon Motor, a car manufacturing plant.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
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In an effort to alleviate some of those concerns, Senate GOP leaders included a new $25 billion fund to support rural hospitals.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
28 June 2025
-
Botswana is also investing in mitigation efforts by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and promoting various energy efficiency measures.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
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More than a decade of physical and mental toil has caught up with me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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The pictures, which were taken in twenty-six countries, cover an exotic range of human endeavors, including the production of perfume in Réunion, the quelling of the Kuwaiti oil fires, and, most famously, the toils of gold miners in Serra Pelada, Brazil.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Few feel this more than athletes, whose livelihoods rely on their physical performance, which can shift dramatically after childbirth.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
10 June 2025
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China is moving to expand access to pain relief during childbirth as part of efforts to encourage mothers to have more children.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
Noun
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In addition to its classical theater repertoire, which includes production work at Yale Rep, the school has added classes that focus on camerawork and self-taping.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
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Pic is being produced by Randy Wayne and Talia Bella under their production company Rebellium Films (40 Dates and 40 Nights) alongside Zara and his production company Ghost Bunni, in association with arts charity Art of Elysium, EB Studios, and producer Daniel Hall.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Though several Democrats are starting to make moves toward 2028, liberals have struggled with the lack of a main character to match Trump's political moxie the way then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi did in his first term.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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However, San Jose has struggled to keep pace, with the city failing to see a single construction start last year for market-rate multi-family developments over 20 units, making the Pleasant Hills project a potential bonus should it be constructed.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Noun
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The variant has similar symptoms to other strains, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or a runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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These included headaches, hand pain, forearm pain, nerve damage in his left elbow, fatigue, decreased stamina and erectile dysfunction, according to the lawsuit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
Noun
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As described in a press release, the currently untitled work is set to give readers an unfiltered look into the Dipset co-founder’s rise from the streets of Harlem to the top of the rap game, and his evolution into a respected media personality, fashion figure, and businessman.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
25 June 2025
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Small-scale research provides a sense of how larger-scale processes work, which are much more difficult to measure.—
Sarah Boon
June 25,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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