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
-
Eco effort Guests rarely need air conditioning thanks to the building’s passive design, which captures heat in the atrium and redistributes it through internal channels, creating natural heating and cooling from day to night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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The $100,000 labor effort aims to counter more than $400,000 Bailey has received from individual donors and a committee supported by local business, including the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 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
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As a break from the drudgery of surviving a fraught postgraduate landscape, Harris sought refuge in her imagination.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
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And then in parallel sequences, someone’s just doing the drudgery.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Noun
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It's made with deep five-millimeter lugs that are seriously grippy on all kinds of terrain from mud to rocks, and its special midsole absorbs a ton of impact to keep your feet pain-free and without fatigue for as long as possible.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
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War fatigue, restricted social media, and disruptions to online banking are deepening this dark mood.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Article continues below ‘The Godfather’ (1972) Watch On Director Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster epic, an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel, offers a sweeping look at the travails of the Corleone mafia family.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The President's House Site, Philadelphia An archaeological site showcasing where George Washington and John Adams lived as presidents, the site made headlines earlier this year when the National Park Service took down exhibition materials related to slavery.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
20 May 2026
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Throughout the park, powerful artworks, artifacts, and narratives confront the legacy of slavery while honoring those who endured it.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spadework.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spadework. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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