as in struggling
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
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Recent Examples of laboring
Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.
—
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
Imagine living in the dictatorship of North Korea, hungry all the time, laboring for no pay.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.
—Literary Hub, 22 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
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
Imagine living in the dictatorship of North Korea, hungry all the time, laboring for no pay.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.
—Literary Hub, 22 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are the striving, dysfunctional parents, and the politically calculating peers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Through the Daodejing, one of the central texts of Daoism, Laozi offers perspectives from a tumultuous period of status-striving in Chinese history – and shifts our focus from comparison and competition to contentment.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And while Harrell continues his rehab, newcomer Cole Gonzales has been working with the first team, along with returner Grayson Loftis, who started seven games last season.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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One player who’s looking forward to working with Corona is freshman Max DeHoyos.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to a synopsis, the book sees Mickey endeavoring to help the wrongly accused.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
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Beyond endeavoring to sleep and also muscle through the day while the sun is bright overhead, the most challenging part for Mehta was the first day of sled pulling when her team moved from Vinson Base Camp to Low Camp.—
Wendy Altschuler,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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The craft, once passed down through generations, is now facing the reality that fewer young people—seduced by high-flying, big-city office jobs—are interested in toiling in its timeworn factories.—
Jessica Binns,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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