as in effort
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Recent Examples of spadework
As with Joe Biden and Barack Obama before him — and, indeed, as in his first term — Trump’s flurry of orders is the product of a legislative branch that has been content to leave the spadework to the president, and to a presidency that has begun to take cynical advantage of that trend.
—
The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
But the loss at the Mercedes plants will almost surely slow down the union’s campaign and probably force it to do more spadework to secure the support of workers before seeking to hold elections at other auto plants.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In this peacemaking effort, the United States would have to do almost all the spadework.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
Early spadework for the new batch of projects also dates back to the City of Cleveland’s 2004 Waterfront District Plan.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for spadework
The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
But the loss at the Mercedes plants will almost surely slow down the union’s campaign and probably force it to do more spadework to secure the support of workers before seeking to hold elections at other auto plants.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 May 2024
In this peacemaking effort, the United States would have to do almost all the spadework.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
Early spadework for the new batch of projects also dates back to the City of Cleveland’s 2004 Waterfront District Plan.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for spadework
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spadework
Noun
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Eco effort Lake George is widely recognized as one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the nation.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
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The firing is sure to trigger even more scrutiny of CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and her controversial efforts to overhaul the network news division.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Until then, they’re left with the tedious toil of prepping garden plots.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Each chapter delves into a different bodily experience that Maglaque herself has lived, from pregnancy to desire to drudgery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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So Mittelman looks forward to the last summer before college, the one time the drudgery of high school won’t loom.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 35 points and nine assists but wasn’t enough to carry a Thunder team that limped to the finish line, dealing with fatigue and a slew of injuries.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
31 May 2026
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Most adults including pregnant people either have no symptoms or experience mild, flu-like illness such as fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and muscle or joint aches.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
State title defense begins Libertyville has experienced its share of travails after winning the Class 4A state championship last season.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2026
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But through all the travails of a second consecutive 10th-place finish, developmental strides were made, tangible growth spurts for what could follow.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Noun
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When the South seceded from the United States in order to maintain slavery as a legal practice, Clemens left behind Hannibal and the steamships.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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Those marching orders left opponents and free speech advocates in disbelief, wondering how park employees were supposed to put a sunny spin on monuments acknowledging slavery, Jim Crow laws and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spadework.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spadework. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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