moil 1 of 2

noun

Definition of moilnext
1
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 How to pronounce moil (audio)
1
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
2
as in to swirl
to be in a state of violent rolling motion the angry mob moiled around the courthouse

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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 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
  1. commotion
  2. labor
  3. struggle
  4. swirl
  5. disturbance
  6. effort
  7. strive
  8. churn
Noun
  • In the commotion, she was briefly separated from her 85-year-old mother, who lives with her.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That allowed passengers to hear the commotion and discover what was happening.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of commotion
Noun
  • Robots were already offered up as part of China’s domestic answer to aging, labor shortages, and future care needs.
    — Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • At the sewing line, a conventional cotton T-shirt requires eight person-minutes of direct labor across its sewing operations, according to Silana co-founder Michael Hofmannrichter.
    — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of labor
Verb
  • But even when Antetokounmpo was on the court in the second half, the Heat struggled.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The high prices are adding to pain for cattle ranchers in western states, who were already struggling with persistent drought.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • But up to this point, DIIV have endured—thrived, even—because of their refusal to capitulate to the industry winds that swirled around them.
    — Larry Fitzmaurice, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Conversations began to swirl in Newsom's circle following Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike, The New York Times reported.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirl
Noun
  • Gary Griggs, a geologist at UC Santa Cruz, said the elevated water levels are linked to El Niño conditions and ocean disturbances known as Kelvin waves.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Sleep disturbances are common in depression, and night owls (who tend to get less sleep than early birds) are likely to have more and worse depressive symptoms.
    — Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Noun
  • The $60 million ceiling covers a three-year development effort, but the announcement does not establish a final procurement value.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of effort
Verb
  • Kansas has emerged as an unlikely battleground in a turbulent midterm election year for Republicans, who are striving to hold onto slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Eager to carry on the family legacy, Charlie strives to become a Baywatch lifeguard alongside her dad.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of strive
Verb
  • These are songs that iterate and elevate minor party fouls into dramas of symphonic proportion, arrangements that articulate the heightened emotions churning inside anxious minds.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • White froth churned as the slightly more alkaline water cascaded into the gray-blue harbor.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of churn

Browse Nearby Words

moiety
moil
moiled
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Cite this Entry

“Moil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moil. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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