1
as in headaches
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in efforts
the active use of energy in producing a result
a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toils
very hard or unpleasant work
a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in childbirths
the act or process of giving birth to children
the mother's labor lasted for six hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in products
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labors
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Residents need relief from high rates and the city itself labors under a hefty and ever-rising power bill, adding tens of millions to its deficit.
—Craig D. Rose, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
In fact, to not do so would be robbing yourself of the fruits of your past labors.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Like the appeals made by women during the antiquity to midwife goddesses, prayer and supplication were ways to affirm intentions for healthy pregnancies, calm labors, and living children.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
In the second round, Sarah labors.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And while the fruits of those labors may not be realized until later in the winter or in the spring — when free agency and the draft finally arrive — the next few days are crucial for laying groundwork.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Thousands of truck enthusiasts gathered to display their revving, roving labors of love at the annual Lone Star Throwdown in Conroe this weekend, one of the country’s largest custom truck shows.
—Maliya Ellis, Houston Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2026
The image, captured by photographer John Kraus, provided a novel view looking almost directly up and into the rocket's intense exhaust plume as it was shaped and backlit by the furious labors of the Merlin engines.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Johnson is consistent in mirroring the release from his pedal and rarely labors when transitioning with route breaks.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Residents need relief from high rates and the city itself labors under a hefty and ever-rising power bill, adding tens of millions to its deficit.
—Craig D. Rose, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
In fact, to not do so would be robbing yourself of the fruits of your past labors.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Like the appeals made by women during the antiquity to midwife goddesses, prayer and supplication were ways to affirm intentions for healthy pregnancies, calm labors, and living children.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
In the second round, Sarah labors.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And while the fruits of those labors may not be realized until later in the winter or in the spring — when free agency and the draft finally arrive — the next few days are crucial for laying groundwork.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Thousands of truck enthusiasts gathered to display their revving, roving labors of love at the annual Lone Star Throwdown in Conroe this weekend, one of the country’s largest custom truck shows.
—Maliya Ellis, Houston Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2026
The image, captured by photographer John Kraus, provided a novel view looking almost directly up and into the rocket's intense exhaust plume as it was shaped and backlit by the furious labors of the Merlin engines.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labors
Noun
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Hantavirus, a rare disease typically caused by exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces, can cause headaches, fever, gastrointestinal issues and respiratory problems.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
-
Patient groups are jockeying for exemptions from Medicaid work requirements, but the unusually fast implementation timeline for states is causing headaches.—
John Wilkerson,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The group highlighted the swift and professional actions of the pilots and firefighter first responders, noting that their efforts helped prevent the fire from spreading and ensured that all passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Noun
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There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Both were premised on the idea of frictionless ease, liberating their users from outmoded toils.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Many women may not be aware at all that private details of their childbirths were shared with law enforcement.—
Shoshana Walter,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In some Michigan counties, Medicaid covers more than half of all childbirths.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
8 May 2026
-
Cody Hayes/TikTok Scores of online companies are increasingly turning to generative AI technology to deceive consumers, falsely portraying themselves as struggling small businesses to charge a premium for lower quality products, an ABC News visual investigation found.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Green struggles to score 16 points in an empty gym.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
The departures of certain Kaiser Permanente offices and a string of prominent restaurant and bar closures have come to symbolize the city’s struggles to retain employers and attract new ones.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Mom worked multiple jobs while also studying but sacrificed everything to make sure her son and daughter could have a bright future.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
And thousands of jobs have been cut in the process, with web infrastructure company Cloudflare and cryptocurrency firm Coinbase among the latest to announce staff cuts.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Outside of those major works, most of his on-screen acting happened on television.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 May 2026
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To learn more about which flea and tick treatment works best, consult with your vet.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labors. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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