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
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
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 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
The difference early was that Keller was throwing strikes at an astonishing rate and quickly working through his innings, while King was laboring.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Alongside the currently missing McDaniels and Edwards, Naz Reid is clearly laboring.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
That took hundreds of people within Apple laboring over technical details like the screen’s lamination and moisture rejection, according to a former Apple engineering leader.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 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
The difference early was that Keller was throwing strikes at an astonishing rate and quickly working through his innings, while King was laboring.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Alongside the currently missing McDaniels and Edwards, Naz Reid is clearly laboring.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
That took hundreds of people within Apple laboring over technical details like the screen’s lamination and moisture rejection, according to a former Apple engineering leader.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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At the time, the group had around two dozen employees and was struggling for financial stability.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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The key will be to continue building off the encouraging start, especially after struggling with his command in Colorado last week.—
Jesús Cano,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Gray’s crime thriller stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller in a story about two brothers striving to achieve the American Dream only to get caught up with the Russian Mafia.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
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In the shadows of the world’s most prestigious piano competition, a group of expert tuners spend a month striving to achieve perfect pitch—hoping that the eventual champion will perform on their instrument.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Kerr had no head coaching experience, working as an executive with the Phoenix Suns from 2007 through 2010 and then as a TNT television analyst through 2014.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
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Three decades later, Landon's production company and his wife, Cindy Landon, are working together to create a Highway to Heaven revival for Fox for the 2027-2028 season, per Deadline.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Maryland’s Republican leaders would do well to listen to Bouchat and to follow his example rather than endeavoring to expel him from office for doing little more than stating the obvious.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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Don’t fear asking your stylist for help Hair textures and styles do run the gamut, and endeavoring to find extensions to match your own might feel like a fool’s errand.—
Hunter Lacey,
Allure,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Salieri, despite Bettany’s compelling performance, is a wearisome figure consumed by jealousy while clearly toiling under a storm of religious psychosis.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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During the weekends, my partner and I will be out in the yard, toiling away at various landscaping and home improvement projects, and sometimes our neighbors are out doing the same.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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