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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pick-and-shovel
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
The company's growth has been partially fueled by robust demand for its iPhones, which is especially likely to boost the group of pick-and-shovel plays, according to Stifel.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 1 May 2026
This is a pick-and-shovel play with accelerating demand.
—Sasirekha Subramanian, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
The company's growth has been partially fueled by robust demand for its iPhones, which is especially likely to boost the group of pick-and-shovel plays, according to Stifel.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 1 May 2026
This is a pick-and-shovel play with accelerating demand.
—Sasirekha Subramanian, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick-and-shovel
Adjective
-
Inmates challenging execution methods must suggest an alternative method.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Lee, who relieved fans by hitting his old high notes on night one, sounded even stronger on night two, gleefully tearing into the most challenging corners of their catalog.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Simplifi meets rigorous security certifications, such as SOC 2, which are part of a comprehensive external audit that assesses the security, confidentiality and privacy of a program’s data.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Autonomy can absorb repetitive, lower-value, or cognitively demanding tasks so crews can focus on judgment, decision-making, and mission execution – the things humans still do best.—
Tim Burns,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
The fuchsia tone is, of course, the most attention-demanding, and black is always a safe bet—especially for more formal events.—
Alexandra Malmed,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
All these years, the stigma stuck no matter how hard the family fought to change the narrative.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
In lieu of hard liquor, the winner of each round got a blast from a Champagne squirt gun into their mouth.—
Danielle Dorsey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
After another solid season in 2021, injuries and sub-par play eventually led to an exit from the NFL, but Robinson has made a pretty formidable case for a return with his play in his UFL debut campaign.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Federal Illegality Complicates What Cannabis Can Do The explanation for cannabis' absence begins with its complicated legal status.—
Peter Su,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Claims About Cycle Syncing Improving Productivity This is where the science gets complicated.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
