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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Still, these owners and chefs insist their food, labor and cooking techniques are just as worthy.
—Terry Tang, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
What viewers didn’t see was the 40 hours Daniels spent laboring on the project from inside a bomb shelter during a 2025 missile attack in Kyiv.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
Anka Bergman went into labor as the Nazi death train she was packed onto arrived at the Mauthausen concentration camp, where more than 95,000 prisoners died during the Holocaust.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Still, these owners and chefs insist their food, labor and cooking techniques are just as worthy.
—Terry Tang, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Steph Curry labored through Sunday’s 111-85 victory with a sore knee, and he was ruled out for Monday’s game at Target Center.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
What viewers didn’t see was the 40 hours Daniels spent laboring on the project from inside a bomb shelter during a 2025 missile attack in Kyiv.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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With the right development, the cost of residing here could be more affordable than typical; that would be attractive for the thousands of lower-paying jobs in the area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Set against a backdrop of oppressive heat and drought, the narrative follows Isabel, a 17-year-old from the rural north who takes a job at an upscale country club outside Manila.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Eco effort To cover all of Inkaterra's eco initiatives would require another article entirely.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Kate Schneider’s hat trick with two goals led a well-balanced effort as Walpole used to down Ursuline 8-4.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The conceit of narrating a year in one’s life through the toils and sensations of the kitchen is one that many have taken up before.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Later in the season, after the Bridgerton sons playfully throw shaving foam at each other, a maid is shown scrubbing the floor, the furniture, and the walls, their fun and folly now her toil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The challenges Black women face during pregnancy and childbirth often reflect gaps in care that begin much earlier in life and persist well beyond the postpartum period.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
11 Feb. 2026
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Many women may not be aware at all that private details of their childbirths were shared with law enforcement.—
Shoshana Walter,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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China is pairing dominant-market level tech with emerging-market production costs, backed by its massive supply chain, Green said.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
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Her production team includes stage manager Sara Dailey, production manager Coco Sein and assistant director Adelina Rocha.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Buehler struggled in Boston, but looked good enough during his brief time with the Phillies to generate interest from the Padres and other teams.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Fefferman questioned why board members and the public have struggled to obtain detailed financial information.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unexpectedly, though, operators stumbled across an issue with ground support equipment that could cause more headaches for a crucial moon mission that has already slipped at least a month from its target launch date.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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Running out of memory, setting up a new phone or simply wanting peace of mind, Picture Keeper removes the headache from backups.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This work offers a new platform for designing efficient photo-electrocatalysts and advancing next-generation solar–electrochemical energy conversion systems.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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The opening night celebration in September features violinist Joshua Bell, after which Shelley will guide the season through a series of classic works, beginning with Mahler’s Second Symphony.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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