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
During that season Clark was laboring to teach all his defensive linemen a new technique to use, and players would have to film themselves working on it, and send it into the coaches.
—
Omar Kelly
august 23, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2025
Wall Street economists are fixated on identifying tariff effects, yet stocks either celebrated or shrugged off three warm and sticky inflation readings this week, laboring to hold near record highs.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025
Its investments have focused on task-specific robotics like mobile carts, pick-and-place arms, and automated sorters, with a robot fleet one-million strong laboring in its warehouses as of June.
—Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But, as archaeologist Sean Winter writes, also like in the US, the reality involves a lot of people coerced into laboring for the benefit of the most powerful.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
The Mets’ 3-1 Opening Day loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park featured a baserunning blunder, a botched double play and a starting pitcher who was laboring by the fourth inning and was removed with two outs in the fifth.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
The Mets’ 3-1 Opening Day loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park featured a base-running blunder, a botched double play and a starting pitcher who was laboring by the fourth inning and was removed with two outs in the fifth.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2025
Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
Workers are laboring in 95 degree heat, surrounded by toxic soil.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
Omar Kelly
august 23, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2025
Wall Street economists are fixated on identifying tariff effects, yet stocks either celebrated or shrugged off three warm and sticky inflation readings this week, laboring to hold near record highs.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025
Its investments have focused on task-specific robotics like mobile carts, pick-and-place arms, and automated sorters, with a robot fleet one-million strong laboring in its warehouses as of June.
—Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But, as archaeologist Sean Winter writes, also like in the US, the reality involves a lot of people coerced into laboring for the benefit of the most powerful.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
The Mets’ 3-1 Opening Day loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park featured a baserunning blunder, a botched double play and a starting pitcher who was laboring by the fourth inning and was removed with two outs in the fifth.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
The Mets’ 3-1 Opening Day loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park featured a base-running blunder, a botched double play and a starting pitcher who was laboring by the fourth inning and was removed with two outs in the fifth.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2025
Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
Workers are laboring in 95 degree heat, surrounded by toxic soil.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
-
Even with Muchová so clearly struggling, Osaka faced some weird jeopardy down the stretch.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
However, even people who have these more 'substantial' degrees are struggling.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The occasion is an event held by the Women’s Coaching Alliance, a group striving to diversify football staffs.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
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Drown is now striving to be able to flip sleeping clients without waking them up.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Former director of football Kevin Thelwell and Dan Purdy, two key drivers of the initial interest in Rohl, have since left the club and are working for Rangers in Scotland.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
He's Delivered the Opposite | Opinion Venezuela has a unified and organized opposition that has been working tirelessly to prepare for this moment.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Also, with most modern vehicles sharing platforms and automakers endeavoring to reduce costs by utilizing the same parts across various model lines and for extended periods, Drury said parts availability should not be a problem.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Beatrice is also the proud new patron of Borne, a medical research charity endeavoring to end premature birth.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Many CEOs will have no choice but to devote their efforts to guessing, interpreting and trying to influence what the president wants, rather than toiling on behalf of their shareholders and customers.—
Senior Fellow,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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The aforementioned deal sheets would often see people still toiling away well beyond midnight in order to get late business over the line.—
Leon Imber,
New York Times,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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