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
Relevance
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
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 taxing
Sha Rabii,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
The style of play is physically, and mentally taxing.
—
D’joumbarey A. Moreau,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
25 June 2026
The taxing nature of executive roles, coupled with constant travel, high decision volumes, and immense stress, necessitates robust physical capacity.
—
Julian Hayes Ii,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Adjective
Businesses face a hardware cost environment that has become more taxing and volatile.
—
Sha Rabii,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
The style of play is physically, and mentally taxing.
—
D’joumbarey A. Moreau,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
This has resulted in the state taxing typical households at significantly lower income levels than many competing states.
—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
25 June 2026
The taxing nature of executive roles, coupled with constant travel, high decision volumes, and immense stress, necessitates robust physical capacity.
—
Julian Hayes Ii,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taxing
Adjective
-
Keeping your hair looking and feeling shiny can be challenging, but not with this hair kit.
-
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said that fighting the fire had been extremely challenging.
Verb
-
What foundation needs your attention before stretching?
-
October 23 – November 21 What foundation needs your attention before stretching?
Adjective
-
In a demanding, real-world performance setting — a capstone exercise, a live performance, a high-stakes simulation — the goal is not to eliminate all mistakes, but to stay in control and navigate the zone of being uncomfortable.
-
New York crowds are passionate, honest, and demanding.
Verb
-
The acceptance rate has been compared to that of trying to get into Harvard University.
-
There’s some heartbreaking moments where Mary’s trying so hard to please him.
Adjective
-
Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
-
But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Verb
-
Fashion was not the only Paris institution straining.
-
You may be used to straining cans the traditional way, which involves using the cutoff lid to drain and squeeze out liquid from the contents of the can, but this strainer offers a simpler solution to the job that won’t potentially cut your hands in the process.
Verb
-
Incumbents have run on the perception that the transplants who have moved into working-class neighborhoods are pushing residents out while imposing their politics on more moderate communities of color.
-
Late-stage trial results from Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, Pelage Pharmaceuticals and Veradermics are now pushing new options toward pharmacy shelves, with one program already pursuing parallel approval in the United States and Europe.
Verb
-
The executive order directed the federal government to shore up key cyber defenses and establish a mechanism for testing the most advanced AI models for safety issues.
-
The company is testing Hexagon’s AEON humanoid robot for battery assembly and component manufacturing after successful laboratory trials and initial factory deployments.
Cite this Entry
“Taxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taxing. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
