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
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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
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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
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
In late 2023, the Writers Guld of America kicked off what would become painful dual Hollywood labor strikes, forcing talent to join picket lines and many films to delay release.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 May 2025
Jim Vinoski, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
In the early years of the Syrian civil war, Fidan and Erdogan labored to overthrow and install a Sunni regime aligned with Ankara.
—Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
This signals a potential emphasis on justice, labor, and the Church's role in the modern world.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
In late 2023, the Writers Guld of America kicked off what would become painful dual Hollywood labor strikes, forcing talent to join picket lines and many films to delay release.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 May 2025
Verb
The good news on rare earth elements is that in the past five years, numerous companies have been laboring to break China’s stranglehold on these vital minerals.
—Jim Vinoski, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
In the early years of the Syrian civil war, Fidan and Erdogan labored to overthrow and install a Sunni regime aligned with Ankara.
—Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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Speaking to thousands of members of the media from around the world who covered his election and the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo also called for the release of reporters jailed for doing their jobs.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
-
Programmed to serve, the heavily armed robot soldier does not love its job.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
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And the level of effort players have shown has been astonishing.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
11 May 2025
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The project has been anchored by the relentless efforts of Wood and Orr, experts in rubbing elbows and working a crowd and the phones.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2025
Noun
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But this season has been one of toil as well as triumph, of inconsistency and dramatic defeats such as Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Aston Villa, as well as long winning runs and historic results.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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This integration can feel challenging; for those conditioned by the violence of capitalistic toil, disrupting the autopilot of perpetual labor with rest can ironically be a very active practice.—
Akilah Sailers,
Essence,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Over its final 20 years, the Gates Foundation will focus on ending preventable childbirth deaths, eradicate deadly infectious diseases, and lifting people out of poverty, among its other goals, the foundation’s statement said.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
8 May 2025
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This phenomenon is rampant in the great American sport of childbirth and child-rearing.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
5 May 2025
Noun
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Now, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has spoken out about potentially moving Story, factoring in both his production and his injury history as the shortstop looks to play in more than 150 games for the first time since 2018.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
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An easy style, production and physical comparable for Savoie is former Condors right winger Kailer Yamamoto.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Verb
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By the time Bush left office, major banks and investment banks were struggling to stay alive, and that was just the ones that didn’t die in 2008.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
Too often over the last few years, the Red Sox have struggled to dispatch bad teams.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2025
Noun
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The dietitian said grape skins also contain tannins, which have antioxidant properties and help give red wine a distinct flavor, but they may also be linked to headaches.—
Amy McGorry,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2025
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When Maura began shaking and complaining of a headache and shortness of breath, her lawyer says it was dismissed as a panic attack.—
Gillian Telling,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Their chemistry paid off when the actors won an MTV Movie Award in 1993 for best on-screen duo for their work on the third film.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Her work has appeared in Quanta, Scientific American, and MIT Technology Review.—
Joanna Thompson,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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