MOIL Synonyms: 226 Similar and Opposite Words

moil 1 of 2

noun

Definition of moil

as in commotion

a state of noisy, confused activity went for a retreat at the monastery for a temporary respite from the moil of the modern world

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work fed up with the moil and moneygrubbing of Wall Street, he decided to open a bed-and-breakfast in Vermont

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moil

2 of 2

verb

ˈmȯi(-ə)l

as in to labor

to devote serious and sustained effort miners moiling all day in the sunless recesses of the earth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to swirl

to be in a state of violent rolling motion the angry mob moiled around the courthouse

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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 moil

Noun

Through a stranger’s eyes, though, the UBA’s moil of laws and lore is a clear symptom of mental illness. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 The delight of online life gave way to its moil, and the pleasure of online services has been eroded by their many downsides, from compulsion to autocracy. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2020

Verb

There are strange things done in the midnight sun, by the men who moil for gold. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moil

Noun

There’s a lot of commotion swirling around you, and much of the drama may not even involve you directly.

— Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Robin’s younger sister Riverley heard the commotion and ran for help.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of commotion

Noun

Rising costs, shrinking market Rising costs and labor shortages have become major challenges for Japanese companies in the post-pandemic business environment, said Harumi Taguchi, principal economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Throughout the world, rapidly aging countries have resorted to foreign labor to fill jobs left vacant by shrinking workforces and to care for surging elderly populations.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of labor

Verb

At that time, the company’s Fisher-Price, Barbie and American Girl brands were struggling to connect with changing consumer tastes and Mattel was reeling from the recent bankruptcy of Toys R Us.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
But, like many Universities, Drexel has been struggling financially, in part due to declining enrollment.

— Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Verb

Rumors are swirling that Amazon has already tapped Jack Lowden, star of Slow Horses and husband to Ronan, to be the next 007.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
But despite the reassurances from Russia's government, the lack of any clear explanation for Shiplova's death has left rumors to swirl about what might have killed her, and what work might be underway at the Russian research center.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of swirl

Noun

While all of Saturday will be dry, skies will trend partly to mostly cloudy as the cloud shield with Isaias and an upper-level disturbance spread into the region.

— Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Officers arrived after a disturbance between two neighbors escalated to one man shooting another, police said.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Noun

The discovery is a huge victory for conservation efforts across the Indian Ocean.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
In yet another battle between the states and social media platforms, Florida asked a state judge to order changes on Instagram and Facebook in an effort to protect young users.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of effort

Verb

The wrinkle is that younger customers are more likely to sign up online, where memberships tend to churn at higher rates than those started in stores.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, Hurricane Isaias is churning its way toward the northeastern Gulf Coast and is likely to make landfall as a hurricane, according to a consensus of most computer models — not just DeepMind.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of churn

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moiety

moil

moiled

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“Moil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moil. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of moil

noun

verb

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