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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laboring
Verb
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Apart from buying struggling retailers, Barnes & Noble has expanded its physical footprint.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Despite the additional funding, the Advocate pointed out that some TAC offices were already struggling—as of April 15, 2025, 239 were understaffed and 21 were unstaffed.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The focus is on TV shows, movies and digital content that tell the personal stories of athletes, the emotional stakes of competition and striving for athletic excellence.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Chronic striving has its downsides, though.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, working collectively doesn’t always mean things move quickly.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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What began as a chance to build a sales team and achieve financial independence turned into a mission to serve working families.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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 17 Sep. 2025.
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