labors 1 of 2

plural of labor
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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labors

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of labor

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 labors
Noun
As emails and text messages tug at our sleeves, even a short lull in the labors of the day can feel like an indulgence. Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 The dog watched over a three-bodied giant's red cattle, and was ultimately killed by Heracles as the demigod hero sought to complete his 12 labors. Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 24 July 2026 Their heroic labors produced the versions that, copied and recopied on papyrus and later on parchment, arrived at last at a printing press in Florence. David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 Justine Siegemund, a German midwife who learned her practice by studying books, was often asked to consult on complex labors. Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 The results of those labors, Devil’s Quarry, debuts June 10 as Season Five of Bone Valley. Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026 People who had really long labors and deliveries are at higher risk of developing a pelvic floor prolapse. Parents, 21 May 2026 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
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
  • What hurt wasn’t just inheriting the customer-service headaches or paying my own phone bill for the first time at 27.
    Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
  • These are identified by painful headaches accompanied by light and sound sensitivity.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • The Fulton County Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to adopt a resolution formally opposing efforts by development authorities to reduce property taxes as a data center recruitment tool.
    Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • In a statement, a Taylor Farms spokesperson said that the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars a year in food safety efforts and went above and beyond industry standards and legal requirements.
    Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Congo's has among the world's highest rates of both childbirths per woman and deaths around childbirth.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Wellness seekers can take part in a range of massage and beauty treatments blending traditional Chinese medicine with modern products.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Brent crude averaged almost $97 a barrel during the quarter; Aramco captured an additional premium of nearly $11 a barrel by boosting exports of higher-margin refined products, such as diesel and jet fuel.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Startups should build evaluation sets from real customer conditions, messy data, edge cases and actual failure modes and be transparent about where the product struggles.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The idea being to strengthen those bonds to create an environment where crime struggles to thrive.
    Heather McRea, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • On employment, the United States had nearly 159 million jobs in June, not including farmworkers, which was a record.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Economists’ estimated monthly employment gains of 95,000 jobs would mark an increase from June’s lower-than-expected 57,000 jobs added.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Ellis’ other works include Less Than Zero and American Psycho.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The concept started as a way to give artists a forum for selling their works and bringing the community together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Labors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labors. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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