as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
a very taxing workload that is taking a lot of time to finish
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stretching
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your constant arguing is starting to tax my patience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taxing
Alyssa Jaffer, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
The work can also be physically taxing, and staying ahead requires constantly honing your skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Adjective
Making documentaries is a very taxing and very difficult type of filmmaking.
—Alyssa Jaffer, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Among female sea otters, motherhood is particularly taxing, as energy requirements double during pregnancy, lactation, and pup care.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
The work can also be physically taxing, and staying ahead requires constantly honing your skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taxing
Adjective
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Without adequate feedback, support and professional development, employees are likely to seek a more challenging environment.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Engage your brain through reading and intellectually challenging tasks.—
Rob Williams,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For a family stretching a tight grocery budget, $22 isn’t a smoothie.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Much of Colorado’s growth is now concentrated in a belt of counties stretching from Weld down to Elbert and El Paso counties, temporarily bypassing Arapahoe, which had the state’s biggest population loss in raw numbers.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The hours were long, stressful, and emotionally demanding.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Wheeler coach Larry Thompson saw Landrew’s basketball IQ and physical toughness lead his team through some of its most demanding moments.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With high-scoring teammate Leon Draisaitl possibly returning from injury for the start of the postseason, the Oilers are trying to get back into top form in time to make another deep run.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Administration officials labeled Good and Pretti domestic terrorists and said Good, who was also behind the wheel of her car when shot, was trying to run officers over.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such claims of penury, however, were difficult to square with certain facts.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jeffries added that the rising cost of living is already straining households and argued the conflict is now driving energy costs even higher.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2026
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Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hmmm, let’s see… oh, yes, Kawhi Leonard famously did this once, pushing his way out of San Antonio.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Faster decision-making, greater policy coherence, and a better chance of pushing difficult reforms at a pivotal moment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Across the hall, the experts at PCLabs are painstakingly testing them, using clear and transparent rubrics to rate them on a five-point scale.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
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According to Spencer Whitman, chief product officer at AI security firm Gray Swan, the hard part of what researchers achieved with Mythos was autonomously finding the vulnerabilities within large codebases and then testing those exploits.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taxing. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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