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
Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2025
As news of the briefings emerged, a former labor ally of Johnson’s issued a letter to aldermen and school board members accusing him of excluding the union.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Massimo Calabresi, Time, 24 July 2025
And yet, that dissonance stirred again: this was ancestral land, yes, but whose ancestors had labored here, and whose still held the deed?
—Essence, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
This deepened in 2004, when her father lost his job due to an NHL labor lockout.
—Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2025
As news of the briefings emerged, a former labor ally of Johnson’s issued a letter to aldermen and school board members accusing him of excluding the union.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meloni has embraced the European Union, NATO, and Ukraine, worked to isolate China, and labored deftly to reconcile the fractious relationships between America and Europe during the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
—Massimo Calabresi, Time, 24 July 2025
And yet, that dissonance stirred again: this was ancestral land, yes, but whose ancestors had labored here, and whose still held the deed?
—Essence, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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During a recent piece in which ESPN writers ranked NFL teams based on their future outlooks, Walder offered an incredibly bold prediction on Nix, projecting that the former first-round pick will lose his job soon.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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If offenders get a new job, they are required by state statute to inform the board 10 days prior to starting new employment, regardless of when their annual registration obligation takes place with their local police department, a state official said.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Fundraising efforts and private donations made to the Kane County 4-H Foundation funded the scholarships.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired an emergency meeting on the cloudburst and subsequent rescue efforts in the capital Islamabad on Friday.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Another says Stan Lee, frustrated by years of toil churning out uninspiring comics, was prompted by his wife to try something new that would excite him.—
Oliver Staley,
Time,
25 July 2025
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Poets toil as often-anonymous individuals building some greater nest, colony, or hive that might outlast us or end up squashed and swept away unceremoniously.—
Hannah Brooks-Motl
June 2,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2025
Noun
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And finally, dipping estrogen can reduce blood flow to your pelvic floor muscles, contributing to the weakening of this zone that can naturally happen with age and childbirth, Dr. Adams adds.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
1 Aug. 2025
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The biology of maternal brain health Pregnancy and the months following childbirth are characterized by so many emotional, psychological and physical changes that the transition to motherhood has a specific name: matrescence.—
Andrew Novick,
The Conversation,
31 July 2025
Noun
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The theory is that each of these tax rates distinctly discourages the production and the seizing of initiative in the economy; therefore, cutting them enhances economic activity to an uncommon degree.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Some have responded with indifference; in April, Lithgow told U.K.'s Sunday Times that Rowling was not the factor holding him back from joining the production.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The state’s newest theory is that Zeigler wore a raincoat while shooting his wife and mother-in-law (who was shot with two different guns) and struggling with his father-in-law — despite the customer having the father-in-law’s blood soaked into his pants.—
Gail Hollenbeck,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
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Serafin pitches Qualtrics as using technology to solve a problem technology created, saying companies now struggle to piece together a coherent picture of their customers across their call centers, apps, websites, text messages, and social media accounts.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Residents report constant running noses, headaches and sore throats.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
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While the flu shot can cause redness and soreness at the injection site, as well as fever, muscle aches, headache and fatigue, FluMist can cause flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, congestion, sore throat, cough, fever, and muscle aches.—
Alice Park,
Time,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Like similar lists for directors, screenwriters, producers and animators, Actors to Watch looks at recent, current and upcoming work from rising actors.—
Variety Staff,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
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At the same time, AI aims to make work more efficient—which is exactly what students are using it for.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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