as in tangle
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toils
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The conceit of narrating a year in one’s life through the toils and sensations of the kitchen is one that many have taken up before.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
How Tielemans overcame early toils is often used as a source of encouragement by new additions who seem peripheral at first.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
Several Democratic incumbents are seeing their young primary opponents boast impressive fundraising numbers as the party toils between placing its faith in its incumbent establishment or in a future featuring younger, more progressive candidates.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The film unfolds from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl named Qing (Aline Chen), who lives and works the land with her mother, Hongmei (Li Yanxi), while her father toils in a factory in a faraway city.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
Both were premised on the idea of frictionless ease, liberating their users from outmoded toils.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The conceit of narrating a year in one’s life through the toils and sensations of the kitchen is one that many have taken up before.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
How Tielemans overcame early toils is often used as a source of encouragement by new additions who seem peripheral at first.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Union itself released a dramatic trailer set in a surgical amphitheater in which a medical team toils away at the sneaker.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
Several Democratic incumbents are seeing their young primary opponents boast impressive fundraising numbers as the party toils between placing its faith in its incumbent establishment or in a future featuring younger, more progressive candidates.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The film unfolds from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl named Qing (Aline Chen), who lives and works the land with her mother, Hongmei (Li Yanxi), while her father toils in a factory in a faraway city.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toils
Noun
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In 2021, Gefen and her colleagues published research in the journal Cerebral Cortex showing that super-agers are resistant to neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles, which are abnormal protein buildups tied to Alzheimer’s.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
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The hippocampus of SuperAgers also has three times fewer tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But having dodged the traps of the social media news era, The Economist now faces looming long-term structural challenges that may be more difficult to avoid.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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The teeth on the lower jaw protrude and interlock between those on the upper jaw, making for a deadly fish trap, UChicago said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As each assignee struggles under the weight of conscience, coercion, and fear, the darkly satirical story examines who draws society’s moral lines, who enforces them, and what happens when they are crossed under extreme pressure.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
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The defeat intensifies pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who already faced a leadership crisis and struggles with cost-of-living challenges.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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It was also archived by Jmail, a web interface that was created to archive Epstein content.—
Daniel Ruetenik,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Forced to confront this web of lies, Kanan faced an existential crisis of self-discovery and emerged stronger and more resolute than ever.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Vrabel went on to say that Gonzalez strives to be a captain.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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For a population that strives not only to be good, but to be officially good—to dedicate its offices to the needs and the vindication of the vulnerable—the persistence of family abuse is an embarrassing rebuke.—
Elaine Blair,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Researchers at Harvard created remote entanglement between atomic quantum memories using silicon-vacancy centers in diamond, showing that the fundamental physics is achievable.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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Many of the schools promptly cut ties with The PhD Project after the investigation was opened, in order to avoid entanglements with the administration.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her husband also works for the two-person business as its chief political strategist.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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Nothing that works today to hit the Russians will work next month.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The shot of drummer Ilan Rubin pairs a jangly guitar with snare bashing.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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One photographer visited Uganda and captured the striking image of a mountain of snares, used to trap wildlife and confiscated by the nation’s rangers.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toils. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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