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
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
That’s right, the Patriot did in two seasons what the Dolphins have been laboring since 2008 to achieve.
—Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
Mobley had been laboring to expand his range all offseason, launching thousands of 3s.
—Mirin Fader, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Mohamed Hacham, who realized the laboring woman couldn’t wait for the fire rescue team.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The Dodgers then knocked off the Giants in the NL Division Series, though Scherzer lost his Game 3 start – allowing three hits and a run on Evan Longoria’s game-deciding homer while laboring seven innings and 110 pitches.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
With The Fulfillment, the sub-context is how clout culture is a currency, how attention itself has become a currency, just like our laboring bodies are.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2025
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
That’s right, the Patriot did in two seasons what the Dolphins have been laboring since 2008 to achieve.
—Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
Mobley had been laboring to expand his range all offseason, launching thousands of 3s.
—Mirin Fader, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Mohamed Hacham, who realized the laboring woman couldn’t wait for the fire rescue team.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The Dodgers then knocked off the Giants in the NL Division Series, though Scherzer lost his Game 3 start – allowing three hits and a run on Evan Longoria’s game-deciding homer while laboring seven innings and 110 pitches.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
With The Fulfillment, the sub-context is how clout culture is a currency, how attention itself has become a currency, just like our laboring bodies are.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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Know More Apple’s leadership once thought Apple News could be an antidote to bad information online, and serve as a lifeline for a struggling news industry displaced by powerful tech platforms.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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The University of Houston poll shows Abbott's preferred candidates struggling with Republican primary voters.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are filmmakers in Hollywood now, working under the same conditions — bloody conflict abroad, corruption in politics, monolithic mainstream entertainment — and striving for a similar freedom.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Learning a new skill is key to staying relevant in what Jake confirmed is the rapidly evolving K-pop universe, one that is quick to react to trends and changes as the industry cranks out a steady stream of new acts, each striving to carve a unique lane to break through to global audiences.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The expansive grounds cover 19 acres bordering the river, including a recreated 19th-century New England coastal village, a working shipyard, and the only wooden whaleship ship still afloat in the United States.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
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This research addresses one of the most complex problems in current robotics, the coordination of two arms working together.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 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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Senior Tre White, meanwhile, also had his worst offensive game of the 2025-26 campaign, cashing just two points — 0-for-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line — while toiling 15 minutes the first half, just eight the second stanza.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
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Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are the worker bees of academia, toiling in labs for years in hopes of one day running their own hive.—
Jonathan Wosen,
STAT,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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