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
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
David Morgan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
But the attention the episode pays to her labors the next day to secure Helen’s grace is a great example of Gillian’s slow-burn style paying off.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
The time has come for decorating enthusiasts around Middle Tennessee to shine, and for area visitors ― and those of us who live nearby and enjoy scoping out Christmas decor, or getting a few ideas of our own to add in next year ― to see the fruits of their labors.
—Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Nov. 2025
So many seem eager to be rid of the labors of thought and expression—the very labors that define them as free and autonomous human beings—by ceding them to generative artificial intelligence.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
For all the revelry, there was a tough, discursive seriousness in the approach that Lang and O’Hara took to their labors in the late forties and early fifties.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
These labors are generally absent from estate accounts, though often evident in diaries.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Part of what gives AI 2027 its weight is the charts and numbers running along the right side of the web page displaying the fruit of the authors’ labors.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
In the studio with artist Anselm Kiefer (Video) In this web exclusive CBS News got a glimpse at the labors of German artist Anselm Kiefer, considered one of the world's most important living painters.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
But the attention the episode pays to her labors the next day to secure Helen’s grace is a great example of Gillian’s slow-burn style paying off.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
The time has come for decorating enthusiasts around Middle Tennessee to shine, and for area visitors ― and those of us who live nearby and enjoy scoping out Christmas decor, or getting a few ideas of our own to add in next year ― to see the fruits of their labors.
—Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Nov. 2025
So many seem eager to be rid of the labors of thought and expression—the very labors that define them as free and autonomous human beings—by ceding them to generative artificial intelligence.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
For all the revelry, there was a tough, discursive seriousness in the approach that Lang and O’Hara took to their labors in the late forties and early fifties.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
These labors are generally absent from estate accounts, though often evident in diaries.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Part of what gives AI 2027 its weight is the charts and numbers running along the right side of the web page displaying the fruit of the authors’ labors.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labors
Noun
-
Side effects often include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, headaches, fatigue and hair thinning, according to experts.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
For example, does war language correlate with stress headaches by end of day?—
Andy Molinsky,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Blocking mergers to protect luxury handbag markets or attacking low-margin grocers for price gouging were misplaced efforts.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office, which represents the Eaton Fire burn scar communities, said she has been briefed by the EPA on the soil testing efforts.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
How Tielemans overcame early toils is often used as a source of encouragement by new additions who seem peripheral at first.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In some Michigan counties, Medicaid covers more than half of all childbirths.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The new export controls restrict technologies, chemicals, products, or software that could be used for military purposes, including some rare earth elements.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Lately, however, influencers have begun placing turntables on kitchen and bathroom counters to store items such as coffee bar supplies, skincare products, or as a general catch-all.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unable to pay her rent, she was later evicted and now struggles to come up with the $1,900 for her new place.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Harper, for her part, struggles to publicly defend a market position that’s based on a hunch and backed up by espionage.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That said, many of the gains players made here won’t dramatically affect their bottom lines, and the reality is that most players on ECHL deals will still need those second jobs and other sources of income to continue to chase their dream of making it to the next level.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Both Tong and his counterpart in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha, followed up with their own request on Monday which reiterated the developers’ claim that federal intervention risks raising costs for electric customers while upending thousands of local jobs.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The edgy South of Market venue in San Francisco that showcases works from up-and-coming artists is also known as a cool place to host gatherings and celebrations, especially among the city arts crowd.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Meyers, performed works by Bach, Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre alongside Grant Gershon, the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the chorale’s members.—
Camelia Heins,
Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labors. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
