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

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 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

Sharing her new life on social media helped give Hoadley a sense of empowerment despite her challenging circumstances.

— Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers’ remarkable debut novel tells a story of the American South, one set in Georgia and peopled with a cast of characters that exist in a rich, layered, and challenging reality.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

The California Board of Pharmacy in 2025 reversed course on regulations that would have made the supplement more difficult to acquire after pushback from some firefighters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Striking out on her own was a difficult transition, but embracing her solitude gave her the space to learn more about herself and make her own personal decisions, such as getting her cat or making meals of her choosing.

— Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

With men on first and third and nobody out that inning, second baseman Jackson Holliday fielded a tough grounder and threw to second, but shortstop Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball for an error and everyone was safe.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
As for footwear sales in the region, the second quarter saw a slowdown of sales of high-heat product, alongside tougher comparatives and ongoing softness in end-of-cycle footwear product lines.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Building trust requires a strong data foundation, rigorous quality standards and clear visibility into how insights are generated.

— David Tobias, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Every personal finance product review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of mortgage products.

— Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Adjective

These quick tests reveal fine detail, dimensional accuracy, and whether the printer is over- or under-exposed, providing a consistent baseline before evaluating more demanding real-world prints.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
The squad underwent intensive work in Portugal, where players generally had one long, demanding morning session, before being given time to recover, often with yoga and massages.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of demanding

Adjective

Sunday’s game was the first time since Cunningham was taken down by the Sky’s DiJonai Carrington on a hard foul on a fast break earlier this month.

— Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Other majors, such as engineering, with its extensive math requirements, have been harder to shrink.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hard

Adjective

Banks wrote this piece as an ensemble work, not as a showcase for his formidable instrumental prowess.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
So does Kevin Reddington, the formidable defense attorney who is representing Clancy in her criminal trial, taking place in Plymouth, which is being live-streamed on the Internet and heavily covered on local news.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of formidable

Adjective

Some 400 firefighters have been battling the blaze, aided by helicopters flying overnight, officials said, but high winds had complicated efforts to contain it.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
But deciding what to do with that money has become more complicated because cash itself is once again producing a meaningful return.

— Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

pick

pick-and-shovel

pick at

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pick-and-shovel

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes