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labored 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of laborednext
as in manufactured

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labored

2 of 2

verb

past tense of labor
as in struggled
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of labored
Adjective
No, what’s stuck in my head is Morocco’s Round of 32 victory over the Netherlands on the very last, labored breath of the match. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026 The recording of the voice-over was in a sense more of a labored experience than the filming. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Verb
Indiana National Guard soldiers labored in Hobart, Gary and Munster to clear trees and limbs to reopen streets. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 That left it to mixed, where the PBR teams labored past Chicago’s youngsters in two close mixed matches to win 3-1 and move onto the next round. — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for labored
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labored
  1. manufactured
  2. struggled
  3. strained
  4. worked
  5. contrived
  6. endeavored
  7. automatic
  8. toiled
Adjective
  • Some of those most in danger are the millions of Americans who live in manufactured housing like mobile homes and trailers.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Helen Keller—or her manufactured image, at least—tended to be shining and sweet and noncontroversial.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of manufactured
Verb
  • Bryce Young has struggled against man-to-man defenses, completing just over 40 percent of his passes this year against that scheme, and Cleveland has played man on about half of its defensive snaps this year.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2026
  • South Africa has struggled with violent crime for years, but recent shootings have shocked a country used to some of the highest homicide rates in the world.
    — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggled
Adjective
  • Faith and family healing Practical communication strategies can be valuable when relationships become strained.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • For too long, Washington failed to enforce our immigration laws, and the resulting chaos overwhelmed communities and strained resources nationwide.
    — Don Bacon, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of strained
Verb
  • Lindvall gained experience with Ludovic de Saint Sernin and the Swedish Fashion Council; Idink worked with independent designer showrooms.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Everything worked flawlessly; the carriage deposited them onto the highway.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of worked
Adjective
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • OpenAI’s method can never work, in fact, without using a very contrived equation for the force that is unlike anything that could occur in the real world.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of contrived
Verb
  • Though eventually abandoned due to cost, this system of surveillance endeavored to equate producers with virtue.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Whatever people think of the film, it was endeavored to be made with purely with the process at its heart.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of endeavored
Adjective
  • Security Accounting software contains sensitive financial information, so only consider a platform with strong security measures like encryption, secure bank connections, authentication and automatic data backups.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
  • District title races rev up Friday night with 14 of the Sentinel Super 16 teams playing games that count in the chase for automatic state playoff berths.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of automatic
Verb
  • While Vonnegut toiled in a malt syrup factory, several other prisoners were assigned to labor details clearing out the rubble left behind from the bombings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Senior tight end Ryan Wynn may have toiled in the shadows a year ago during Oswego’s surprising run to the Class 8A state championship game but his impact didn’t go unnoticed.
    — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of toiled

Browse Nearby Words

labor camps
labored
laborer
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Cite this Entry

“Labored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labored. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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