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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
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
Strausfeld did teach at Brighton College of Art (later part of Brighton Polytechnic), on the south coast of England, for many years, but the fruits of his labors for the Academy are the cause of his meticulous appeal.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Take the 12 days of Christmas, 12 months of the year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 gods of Olympus, and 12 tribes of Israel, for example.
—Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 13 Feb. 2026
The main premise of the original Patlabor anime still holds true with EZY, with the focus being on a future Japanese police force using mecha called labors to combat crime.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The sticky organism reminded him of the next day’s labors and the scent of the forest.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
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
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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
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
Strausfeld did teach at Brighton College of Art (later part of Brighton Polytechnic), on the south coast of England, for many years, but the fruits of his labors for the Academy are the cause of his meticulous appeal.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Take the 12 days of Christmas, 12 months of the year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 gods of Olympus, and 12 tribes of Israel, for example.
—Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 13 Feb. 2026
The main premise of the original Patlabor anime still holds true with EZY, with the focus being on a future Japanese police force using mecha called labors to combat crime.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The sticky organism reminded him of the next day’s labors and the scent of the forest.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
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
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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Patients can also experience fever, headaches and body aches.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Donor requests for internships for their family members also led to overcrowding in the office and logistical headaches for schedulers, one former staffer said.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On this episode, Vlad returns to talk about where things stand, and all of the company's new efforts to give retail traders even more instruments to use.—
Joe Weisenthal,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 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
-
All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Oracle has been rapidly filling buildings on the site with servers, which are used by OpenAI to train and deploy its products.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But rival Target reported earlier this week another quarterly decline in profits and sales during the critical holiday period as the discounter struggles with its own merchandising missteps and confronts a consumer who is focusing more on essentials.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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In December, Wisconsin Watch reported on an Appleton technical charter school that struggles to manage high program costs and secure donations to stay afloat.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since July, Beijing has tried to curb excessive competition within industries while at the same time making sure jobs are protected.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Despite the explosion of AI creating more tech jobs, competition for those entry-level roles is just as hard.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Many works of Georges Méliès are even believed to have been burned as the original negatives, as the nitrate film stock is incredibly fragile and inflammable.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
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The organization was founded in 1992 with a series of artist commissions and installations for specific places, focused on public engagement with the arts and the social and political contexts explored in these works.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Labors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labors. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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