PICK-AND-SHOVEL Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

pick-and-shovel

adjective

ˈpik-ən(d)-ˈshə-vəl

Definition of pick-and-shovel

as in challenging

requiring considerable physical or mental effort she loves coming up with the "big idea" but hates the actual pick-and-shovel work of starting a new business

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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 pick-and-shovel Since then, investors have treated the industrial stock as a pick-and-shovel AI play instead of a lagging conglomerate. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 July 2026 Investors have an insatiable appetite to fund the pick-and-shovel businesses underpinning data-center buildouts and Ford’s version of an AI pivot shows that even staid companies like the 122-year-old giant aren’t above the fray. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 14 May 2026 So far with Big Tech spending at an all-time high—fueled by a fear of being left behind—the pick-and-shovel approach has been paying dividends. — Peter Andersen, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick-and-shovel

Adjective

Enforcing the new ordinance is not as challenging as critics charge, Boone said.

— Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
In Tony, Bourdain not only flees to Provincetown to follow Nancy, but also to escape his challenging relationship with his parents, Gladys and Pierre Bourdain.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

Establishing that sense of familiarity requires time spent playing and training together, something made more difficult by a constant carousel of new signings.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Nugraha said difficult terrain has complicated efforts, with some hotspots located on steep volcanic slopes that are difficult to reach by land.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

That left the debtor having to prove the negative that the debtor really didn't have any way to re-establish control over trust assets, and such was (and still is) a very tough sell.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Lombard also helped turn a double play in the second inning and handled another tough one-hopper hit by Cesar Prieto in the seventh.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Audit Before You Affirm (or Reject) Before issuing a public statement, conduct a rigorous internal review across all seven areas.

— David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
In fact, there is no federal law against providing medical care for transgender adolescents according to the rigorous standards of care.

— Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Adjective

By automating repetitive, physically demanding and highly variable tasks, intelligent robotics allows experienced people to focus on the work where their judgment and expertise create the greatest value.

— Ariyan Kabir, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
However, rather than viewing the demanding conditions as a disadvantage, Simmons believes the heat can become an advantage for the Panthers.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of demanding

Adjective

Certainly Larimore is pointing out that hard times lead to hard truths and hard decisions.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Perseus Rising in the northeast after dark, Perseus is not the easiest constellation to make sense of, but its rich star fields are hard to miss.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of hard

Adjective

Webber seemed the perfect fit for Golden State and Nelson, and a bigger, more athletic Warriors team seemed to have a more formidable Big Three in Webber, Owens and second-year guard Latrell Sprewell, with Mullin still on hand as well.

— Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Leykin, 19, is a formidable challenger, placing in the top five on four apparatuses.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of formidable

Adjective

Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
When given a complicated test, AI models (the industry term for the systems behind products like ChatGPT and Claude) find a way to maximize the score without doing the task the score was meant to measure.

— Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

pick

pick-and-shovel

pick at

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Style

“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pick-and-shovel

adjective

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