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
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
While such a scenario sounds potentially maudlin and manipulative, Lucero — who wrote the film from a personal place — never allows that to happen by making the characters complex and flawed, and laboring under real-life issues.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Chiefs players spent training camp laboring at hot, humid Missouri Western State University.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
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
Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2025
While such a scenario sounds potentially maudlin and manipulative, Lucero — who wrote the film from a personal place — never allows that to happen by making the characters complex and flawed, and laboring under real-life issues.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Chiefs players spent training camp laboring at hot, humid Missouri Western State University.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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That was punctuated by the incident in Dubai, which Raducanu said left her struggling to breathe properly in the immediate aftermath.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The film follows Malik (Omar Epps), a gifted athlete struggling academically; Kristen (Kristy Swanson), a young woman discovering her voice; and Remy (Michael Rapaport), a student whose isolation turns dangerous.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dispelling shame and striving for equality was a strategy used by fourteen women.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Much to the dismay of Gen Z striving for success with a manageable work-life balance, CEOs are adamant that intense schedules are essential for anyone looking to make it in business.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For years, Bloom was hyped as a Silicon Valley unicorn, but in 2012 the SEC charged an investment bank working with Bloom of using inflated numbers to mislead investors.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Christiaan Triebert is a Times reporter working on the Visual Investigations team, a group that combines traditional reporting with digital sleuthing and analysis of visual evidence to verify and source facts from around the world.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Skilled forgers started to catch on, endeavoring to cash in on that development.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
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But organizers are also endeavoring to create more structured career pathways for PAs, who do not have many clear options for career advancement.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For instance, said Guo, the falling birth rate means Japan has a shrinking workforce, with fewer young people available to fill the gaps left by aging workers – who in turn are forced to keep toiling instead of retiring.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
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At first glance, Nam-Joon Cho’s lab at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University looks like your typical research facility—scientists toiling away, crowded workbenches, a hum of machinery in the background.—
Sandy Ong,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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