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
Specifically, the unique bond the three have formed represents an important and much-needed evolution in how athletes in the sport can and should approach the rigors of competitive skating.
—
Alice Park, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
To help better prepare his body for the rigors of a full big league season, Mayer has made getting bigger and stronger a top priority this winter.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Interestingly, the device maintained a stable electroencephalogram (EEG) signal collection despite the harsh rigors of space.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
The captain of Team Canada is familiar with the Olympics and with the rigors of best-on-best international play.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
While the rigors of zero-g have been well researched on the International Space Station, the challenges of living in lower gravity, such as that found on the moon and Mars, has not yet been explored.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Just like Eddie Bauer, those mountaineers in the ’90s wanted a jacket with excellent warmth-to-weight ratio that could also handle the rigors of climbing.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Alice Park, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
To help better prepare his body for the rigors of a full big league season, Mayer has made getting bigger and stronger a top priority this winter.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Interestingly, the device maintained a stable electroencephalogram (EEG) signal collection despite the harsh rigors of space.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
The captain of Team Canada is familiar with the Olympics and with the rigors of best-on-best international play.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
While the rigors of zero-g have been well researched on the International Space Station, the challenges of living in lower gravity, such as that found on the moon and Mars, has not yet been explored.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Just like Eddie Bauer, those mountaineers in the ’90s wanted a jacket with excellent warmth-to-weight ratio that could also handle the rigors of climbing.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigors
Noun
-
Cliffside Confessions Since establishing his BASE jump guiding company in 2022, LaJeunesse has leaned into the hardships some of his clients want to face.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Russia's border regions have also faced hardships, as Ukrainian drone attacks knocked out heat and power for local residents in reciprocal attacks.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Even those who are trying to keep the roads clear and safe are having difficulties.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Multiple reviewers expressing frustration over automatic renewals and difficulties in obtaining refunds or cancellations.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rigors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigors. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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