as in wrought
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
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as in manufactured
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labored
Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Callahan Molnar wrote that Beacon was admitted to an emergency pet hospital the previous day with symptoms that included stiffness, labored breathing and a fever, despite undergoing treatments such as anti-inflammatory medication and cold laser therapy.
—Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024
The leads are largely stuck sniping at each other between bouts of labored philosophizing and personal backstory, never coming close to a credible mutual rapport.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025
Image Her paintings at times look schematic and labored, and in general pale beside the sculptures.
—Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labored
Verb
Lots of labored stuff about riding a buggy or a cart with all sorts of people dressed in costume running around him.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Callahan Molnar wrote that Beacon was admitted to an emergency pet hospital the previous day with symptoms that included stiffness, labored breathing and a fever, despite undergoing treatments such as anti-inflammatory medication and cold laser therapy.
—Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024
The leads are largely stuck sniping at each other between bouts of labored philosophizing and personal backstory, never coming close to a credible mutual rapport.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025
Image Her paintings at times look schematic and labored, and in general pale beside the sculptures.
—Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labored
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labored
Verb
-
The Bears offense struggled under coordinator Shane Waldron, so he was fired.—
Kevin Fishbain,
The Athletic,
27 Dec. 2024
-
When Barbra Streisand struggled with the replacement orchestrations during a recording session, the conductor had Cullen’s original scores on hand.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The country’s Transitional Presidential Council also adopted a resolution authorizing the involvement of a controversial force, the Protected Areas Security Brigade, to fight gangs despite the agency’s strained relationships with the Haiti National Police.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
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On this track, he and FOLA trade lines seamlessly and effortlessly, with the young singer fitting right in on the emotional track about a strained relationship that both sides are trying to save.—
Heran Mamo,
Billboard,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Those who worked with him always circled back to his genuine joy on the podium.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Dec. 2024
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And the front and rear hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors worked extremely well, even going downhill, without any squealing whatsoever.—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Eschewing a contrived set-up, Wax’s Izzy relates her story simply and directly to the audience.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 June 2025
-
That’s the setting where Diamond’s story unfolds, in a very contrived and forced manner — even by jukebox musical standards — as the therapist uses a book of the singer-songwriter’s lyrics as a launching pad to examine significant life moments.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, their relationship is built on a secure emotional foundation that makes these behaviors natural and automatic over time.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Regardless of income, one factor that has helped boost savers’ balances is automatic enrollment.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Thankfully, Sedgwick and Bacon don’t just rely on their natural ease with one another, but infuse their characters with something real, even though the circumstances that bring them together feel somewhat forced.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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This feels a bit forced and corny, and the director becomes even more outlandish depicting Maggi’s dreams as their relationship feels fully unsalvageable: a rooster disturbs him in real life, then visits him in giant, anthropomorphized form in his dream to injure him or worse.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
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Twain has long been accused of giving Huck Finn an overly pat, comic ending.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
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Products include mechanical, electrical, sensing and electronic components, spanning from motors and lighting assemblies to ultrasonic, camera, radar and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labored. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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