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
-
No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Dogs generally aren’t allowed on cruises, but after struggling to find a flight that would allow pets in the cabin, Morris decided to bring Monty across the pond in the storied ocean liner’s kennels – one of the only ways cruise travelers' furry friends can sail the high seas.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Midway through Ramadan, Muslims across the United States are striving to maintain the holy month’s traditional mix of prayers and festive spirit under a cloud of worrisome events.—
Luis Andres Henao,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Figure on an almost completely different combination striving to finish games in August and September.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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China’s biggest chain of eye hospitals is working with an adviser on the share sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.—
Julia Fioretti,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The papers allege that his working hours at the school and with the city overlapped.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 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
-
Rika spends most of her days toiling in a frozen-foods warehouse, but her new gig is in a museum, where she has been hired to make conversation, in Latin, with an ancient Roman statue of the goddess Venus.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Rika spends most of her days toiling in a frozen-foods warehouse, but her new gig is in a museum, where she has been hired to make conversation, in Latin, with an ancient Roman statue of the goddess Venus.—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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