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
Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2025
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
Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Large portions go to other taxing districts, including Broward County and the school system.
—Lisa Mallozzi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Adjective
Running a company can be very taxing, said Lim, who works about 11 hours a day on average.
—Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2025
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
His proposal would bar states from taxing the assets of former residents retroactively.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Large portions go to other taxing districts, including Broward County and the school system.
—Lisa Mallozzi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for taxing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taxing
Adjective
-
The Dorm’s New ‘Frenemy’ Their quest will be all the more challenging when a new friend (or foe) appears in the dorm.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Schedule time with a challenging book, as fresh ideas can soothe moods and moderate your protective instincts.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Leveleve Balcony Furniture 5-Piece Patio Conversation Set For truly stretching out and relaxing, this five-piece set includes two chairs with extendable footrests for reclining—then the footrest tuck neatly underneath the chairs when not in use.—
Melanie Fincher,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
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The site-specific Parcours section, stretching along Basel’s Clarastrasse, will be organized for the third year in a row by Stefanie Hessler, director of the Swiss Institute, New York, and will take as its theme the concept of conviviality.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
International trips ranged from casual travel, like sightseeing in the Scottish Highlands, to more demanding objectives, including a 10-day point-to-point ski expedition in Northern Norway and a winter camping trip in Denali National Park.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside,
17 Feb. 2026
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Sanford Meisner, the school’s legendarily demanding director, was impressed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coach Rick Hirtensteiner said Young dealt with the pressure by just trying to have fun, and Sheffer, playing with his younger brother, Ryan, a starting shortstop, appeared to do just that Wednesday.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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At the forefront of having our backs through this whole process and trying to do the right thing was Bruce and Matt.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The voracious reader said that the best books, those that brought him happiness, were not the ones that ease our way in this strange and difficult world.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Local farmers work long hours, often under difficult conditions, to ensure our food supply remains steady.—
Joe Dymek,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Over development is straining the water supply.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Here is Kyle yelling so hard at Dorit that her veins are straining against her Botox.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During ultra-fast impacts, the metal’s atoms oscillate so vigorously that these physically obstruct the path of deformation, pushing back against the incoming force.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Just as the Dow Jones Industrial Average neared the 50,000 milestone in early January, a producer called to interview me about what was pushing stocks higher.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Major League Baseball is implementing the ABS challenge system for the first time in the regular season after testing it during spring training games last year and utilizing it in Triple A since the 2023 season.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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After testing formulas across curl types in cold, dry conditions and in more humid weather, Pattern Hydration Shampoo emerged as the best overall pick.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taxing. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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