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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
Marla Miller, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
After months of tense negotiations and uncertainty as to whether a labor lockout would occur, the WNBA season will begin in May as scheduled.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
That’s the case with Betsy Ross, whose story was never about designing one flag but about producing many – and being one of thousands of women whose labor was essential to the nation’s origins.
—Marla Miller, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
After months of tense negotiations and uncertainty as to whether a labor lockout would occur, the WNBA season will begin in May as scheduled.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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The rule has been expanded that teams must interview two minority candidates for openings at head coach, general managers and the offensive and defensive coordinator jobs.—
Mac Engel
March 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
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And this Pios team, the first at DU to ever clinch a third straight Frozen Four bid, might be Carle’s best coaching job yet.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The initiative reflects broader efforts by city authorities and technology companies to explore how AI can improve customer service, accessibility, and operational efficiency in transportation hubs.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
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The effort would assess state departments and gather feedback from public employees to identify inefficiencies and reduce unnecessary spending.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Though the system managed only a dim glow, Lorna was still grateful for the flick of a switch rather than the toil of refilling oil lamps and trimming candles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Postpartum hair loss is a common and temporary condition affecting about 90% of women after childbirth.—
Nicole Hernandez,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
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How the robot childbirth simulator trains future midwives The simulator known as Mama Anne looks and behaves much like a real patient in labor.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Broadway production ran for 25 previews and 1,670 regular performances.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Books have always been valuable assets in Hollywood, said Rich Green, who heads book-to-film/TV development at management and production firm the Gotham Group.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indonesia was already struggling to meet targets to retire coal plants early, with financing delays even before the Iran war.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even as Queen City Quarter struggles to attract new businesses, three of its tenants face eviction for unpaid rent at the former Epicentre food and entertainment complex in uptown Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Raise massive capital, hire hundreds of people, build a sprawling department for every operational headache — from VAT compliance in Marseille to sourcing logistics in Shenzhen.—
Kuo Zhang,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
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However, despite Roy often being a headache for House GOP leadership, many MAGA Republicans still recognize Roy as a conservative fighter.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These questions linger as Ion goes about his day, looking for work, begging for change, and scarfing down a meal—moments that flash by in quick, propulsive blips.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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These achievements are linked to the longstanding work between the county, local providers and community partners, officials say.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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