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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Keeping your hair looking and feeling shiny can be challenging, but not with this hair kit.
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Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said that fighting the fire had been extremely challenging.
Adjective
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Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
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But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Adjective
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Summer 2026 is having a tough time deciding on this season’s dominating nail trend.
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These are typically low-wage jobs that the healthcare industry writ large has had a tough time recruiting for since the pandemic.
Adjective
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And a rigorous screening protocol for LFS patients developed by David Malkin, a protege of Fraumeni and Li, helps detect early-stage malignancies, improving the odds of treating them and prolonging lives.
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According to Lacey, who helped set up the Code Four program last year, enforcing the law requires a clear grasp of ethics and a rigorous attention to detail to make sure the job is done well.
Adjective
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In a demanding, real-world performance setting — a capstone exercise, a live performance, a high-stakes simulation — the goal is not to eliminate all mistakes, but to stay in control and navigate the zone of being uncomfortable.
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New York crowds are passionate, honest, and demanding.
Adjective
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In the days leading up to his show, Chavarria and his team were hard at work in his make-shift studio in the 6th arrondissement.
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Closing a chapter, not the relationships For Sevy, the hardest part is closing this chapter with the people who made the place feel like home.
Adjective
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The Scottish lawyer was one of the smartest, most formidable specialists in the luxury business, with a reputation that carried internationally and a vast roll call of clients.
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With five volumes of his Noise Kandy series, to solo and collaborative albums (KISS THE RING, Kontraband, Trainspotting), the Griselda affiliate has cemented his status as one of today’s most formidable spitters.
Adjective
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But a closer examination paints a more complicated picture.
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The city also has some of the world’s most complicated rules about air-conditioning installation.
Cite this Entry
“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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