1
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
save your sweat: no one will appreciate your efforts anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
it took years of sweat to bring the farm to the point where it is now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fear
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
my boss told me not to get in a sweat about the accident—she'd make sure I wasn't blamed for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in huff
a state of nervous or irritated concern
he always ends up in a sweat during tax season
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
spent the afternoon sweating over her tax returns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
don't sweat over getting the application in a day late, as it probably doesn't matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to drip
to flow forth slowly through small openings
the oil coat may sweat through this varnish
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to interrogate
slang
to put a series of questions to
the narcotics squad tried sweating the mule, but he was genuinely clueless about the inner workings of the drug operation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sweat
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 26 May 2026
The accordionist stomped sideways under the stage lights, sweat running down his temples, looking like Angus Young sans schoolboy shorts.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
And there’s nothing more excruciating than sweating bullets while impatiently waiting for the machine to lock up, signaling the ice cream is ready to eat.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sweat
Noun
As the focus for finding the gunman intensifies, opportunists seize the chaos as a chance to infiltrate and tear apart the lucrative empire Madam has poured blood, sweat, and tears into building.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 26 May 2026
The accordionist stomped sideways under the stage lights, sweat running down his temples, looking like Angus Young sans schoolboy shorts.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Verb
The insole is also treated with anti-microbial and anti-odor technology, perfect for summer days if your feet tend to sweat during hotter temps.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
And there’s nothing more excruciating than sweating bullets while impatiently waiting for the machine to lock up, signaling the ice cream is ready to eat.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sweat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweat
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The concerns stem from baseball's history of labor disputes and the significant divide between the league and the MLB Players Association on several economic issues.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The City of Sacramento first renamed its city plaza to Cesar Chavez Plaza in the 1990s to honor the labor leader's lifetime of work.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
All of my rage and fear and wonder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The computing power needs, the competition from Anthropic, the potential for a more business-to-business stream of revenue, the fear that all of the big institutions that own it will want to cash out, makes this one plain fraught.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Rhodes celebrated with the crowd at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, while Gunther walked back up the entrance ramp in a huff.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As families struggle with rising costs, healthcare affordability has emerged as a defining issue heading into the midterms.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
The back-to-back deals offer one of the clearest signals yet that Abel is prepared to put Berkshire’s enormous balance sheet to work after years of criticism that the company had become too cautious and was struggling to find opportunities large enough to move the needle.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Considering its reputation and its placement on the World’s Best List, the clientele tends to be very international so those who don’t speak French need not worry.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Many of his fellow Republicans might find his campaign, as outlined to a reporter Wednesday, to be worrying on closer examination.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Also featured on the summer menu will be a new Unicorn Cake Pop, featuring vanilla cake mixed with confetti sprinkles, dripped in white chocolate icing and decorated with a unicorn face.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems make the most efficient use of water.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Build a culture of intellectual accountability in which employees are expected to interrogate AI output rather than relay it.—
Chris Rosenberg,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
On May 13, investigators with Dallas police traveled to Beeville, Texas, where Holloway is incarcerated, to get a DNA sample and interrogate him.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sweat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweat. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
