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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Pan made national headlines during his time in Legislature for leading the state’s efforts to toughen school vaccine requirements.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Eco effort This is a fragile environment—Kerlingarfjöll was designated a Protected Nature Reserve by Umhverfisstofnun (the Environmental Agency of Iceland) in 2020.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Pure white cloth, born in the murderous toil of slavery, formed in debilitating factory conditions, and finished through the agony of Sicilian children, was bleached in more ways than one.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
15 June 2026
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In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, was a change, and the men who came to the scene of daily toil this morning will never return alive.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
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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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The ingredient lineup champions prickly pear cactus extract, which draws moisture into the skin and provides a rich source of vitamin K to support elasticity, while Persian silk tree extract targets signs of fatigue.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
13 June 2026
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Women in their 30s and 40s experiencing persistent fatigue, mood changes, sleep disruption, irritability, anxiety or digestive issues may want to ask specifically whether perimenopause could be the underlying cause before accepting a diagnosis of anxiety, depression or a thyroid condition.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Its current travails are likely to be a model for the nation too.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
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The travails of baristas, ride-share drivers or suburban supermarket employees don’t gather my sympathies as much as, say, the lot of the workers at the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, or the Ford plant on Torrence Avenue in Chicago.—
John Vukmirovich,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The event was hosted by Shane Gillis and featured divisive manosphere comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who made jokes about lynching and slavery, respectively.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
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Sugarwater, then, may serve as a homecoming — a chance for folks both within and outside of the city to celebrate Black electronic music’s foundations, its current-day significance and the Black American liberation from slavery.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spadework.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spadework. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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