as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
hard-bitten folk who survived many rigors on the way to the promised land
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Recent Examples of rigors
Hardening off, or the process of gradually acclimating young seedlings to the rigors of growing outdoors, is essential for tomatoes.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
At 6-3, 206 pounds, Moore needs to add more weight and muscle to survive the rigors of the NFL game.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
After capitalizing on one of the nation’s top homecourt advantages for their 15th straight win in the O’Dome, the Gators shift focus to the rigors of the road and their longest trip for an SEC game against an Oklahoma squad that has gone 8-0 in Norman.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
While stars and filmmakers this season tried to cope candidly with questioners, their impact was nonetheless inhibited by the rigors of Oscar rules.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Letting that loss linger and turn into back-to-back losses would have been a bad sign about Buffalo’s ability to handle the rigors of what is going to be a white-knuckle playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Salomon Elixir Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes These aren’t the lightest, quickest, or sexiest hiking shoes out there—in fact, the Salomon Elixirs are designed for the heavy-duty rigors of thru-hiking.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 25 Dec. 2025
The rigors of touring and internal conflicts took a toll on the band and the group split in 1999.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
Ultimately, Paul feels the rigors of being an in-ring performer may have been too much for Scott to handle.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
At 6-3, 206 pounds, Moore needs to add more weight and muscle to survive the rigors of the NFL game.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
After capitalizing on one of the nation’s top homecourt advantages for their 15th straight win in the O’Dome, the Gators shift focus to the rigors of the road and their longest trip for an SEC game against an Oklahoma squad that has gone 8-0 in Norman.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
While stars and filmmakers this season tried to cope candidly with questioners, their impact was nonetheless inhibited by the rigors of Oscar rules.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Letting that loss linger and turn into back-to-back losses would have been a bad sign about Buffalo’s ability to handle the rigors of what is going to be a white-knuckle playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Salomon Elixir Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes These aren’t the lightest, quickest, or sexiest hiking shoes out there—in fact, the Salomon Elixirs are designed for the heavy-duty rigors of thru-hiking.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 25 Dec. 2025
The rigors of touring and internal conflicts took a toll on the band and the group split in 1999.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
Ultimately, Paul feels the rigors of being an in-ring performer may have been too much for Scott to handle.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigors
Noun
-
Black History Month is a good time to remember the unfair hardships placed on Black people throughout history, but also a time to celebrate their triumphs in spite of it.—
Terri Huggins Hart,
Parents,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Local residents are facing hardships as weather conditions keep them from getting to work.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But Peter is refreshingly candid about the difficulties.—
Sarwant Singh,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Powerscourt, a small Irish distillery, was in receivership after reporting major financial difficulties.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rigors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigors. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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