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 woodcut birth figures contained in these books were not images drawn from observation—pregnant cadavers for anatomical drawing were hard to come by—but were instead abstracted diagrams of the chaotic diversity of laboring bodies.
—
Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Another laboring woman with the same image on her phone.
—Karli Swenson, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
With evacuation shelters reaching capacity as more than 40,000 people were asked to leave their homes, officials laboring to prevent an explosion at a crippled chemical tank in Garden Grove reported tentative progress Sunday in ending the crisis.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Imagine a place of employment where everyone in the building is laboring to live out their childhood dream.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 10 May 2026
Just three had received fewer innings per game from their starters, increasing the burden on a bullpen laboring under the strain.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
For the rest of us, the construction kickoff means delay upon delay as streets, avenues and roads are awash with heavy equipment and construction workers laboring with jackhammers, picks and shovels.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Put differently, eliminating tax on overtime reduces the number of hours each day that hourly workers are laboring not for themselves or their families but for the government.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Another laboring woman with the same image on her phone.
—Karli Swenson, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
With evacuation shelters reaching capacity as more than 40,000 people were asked to leave their homes, officials laboring to prevent an explosion at a crippled chemical tank in Garden Grove reported tentative progress Sunday in ending the crisis.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Imagine a place of employment where everyone in the building is laboring to live out their childhood dream.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 10 May 2026
Just three had received fewer innings per game from their starters, increasing the burden on a bullpen laboring under the strain.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
For the rest of us, the construction kickoff means delay upon delay as streets, avenues and roads are awash with heavy equipment and construction workers laboring with jackhammers, picks and shovels.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Put differently, eliminating tax on overtime reduces the number of hours each day that hourly workers are laboring not for themselves or their families but for the government.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The overarching message is that spatial computing is maturing, striving for seamless integration into daily life.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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General Motors is among the Western automakers striving to match that blistering pace, by harnessing AI and simulation to dramatically shorten development times.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Davidson is more steeped in Democratic politics, including working for years as a political consultant and winning a county legislature seat in 2023.—
Chris McKenna,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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These startups are working with a range of different non-invasive sensor modalities, including those that measure electrical pulses (EEG), those that measure magnetic fields (MEG), and those that use light to measure changes in blood flow (fNIRS).—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
Verb
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By unionizing, the group is additionally endeavoring to ensure greater job protections, more transparency about pay and promotion standards, and have more of a say in the corporate environment.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
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One of the owners, Viola, made sure to keep it that way when endeavoring in this passion project.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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These days, many would-be retirees are punching clocks in warehouses, toiling as home health aides, or serving customers in retail stores.—
Ann Larson,
Time,
11 June 2026
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The 60-year-old owner of All-Pro Lawnmower Sales, Service & Recycling at 555 Santa Fe Drive in Denver spends his days toiling on small engines.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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