as in struggling
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of laboring
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
Alamo Colleges adopted a Chavez holiday in July 2023, as two board members recalled their fathers once laboring as farmworkers.
—Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
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
Alamo Colleges adopted a Chavez holiday in July 2023, as two board members recalled their fathers once laboring as farmworkers.
—Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Mar. 2026
With Anthony Edwards laboring because of a sore right knee, Randle and Ayo Dosunmu stepped in to pick up the scoring slack.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
-
When Wagner was healthy in the first four games, Cunningham was still getting his points, but getting them inefficiently, struggling to find rhythm against Wagner’s length and discipline.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
After struggling in his first game back — which Boston won by 32 points to take a 3-1 series lead — the 2023 NBA MVP was a defining figure in Games 5, 6 and 7.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
These families often manage substantial archives through private LLCs, striving to preserve and amplify the artists’ reputations without the institutional backing or capital that buoy larger foundations.—
Angelica Villa,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
-
These organizations, striving to fill the information gap created by the state government’s increasing drift toward secrecy — can’t rely on taxpayers to pay their bills.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adjust the plan, and let that flexibility keep everything working without losing your own direction or sense of independence in the process.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Onscreen, the seduction was working.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Others — the dreamers and grinders, as Spencer Nusbaum described yesterday — have to take second jobs to make ends meet while toiling away in minor-league baseball.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Hippocratic doctors vigorously denounced the religious healers of the day, such as the priests toiling in the temple of Asclepius.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laboring. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
