as in labored
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Recent Examples of toiled
The Maine East and Wabash Valley College alum was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the MLB draft in 2019 and has toiled in the minor leagues with the Brewers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies and the Dodgers.
—
Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Cassie’s sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) toiled as an assistant on a nighttime soap opera.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026
While the Knicks toiled, the Rangers had decent success — until Dolan decided to leave the Knicks alone and ruin the Rangers by firing general manager Jeff Gorton and Rangers President John Davidson.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
For the last four years, the players on stage toiled to reach this moment.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The roughly 1,000 Bandanese who survived were enslaved alongside other laborers under the perkenier system, where hundreds of workers toiled on each plantation (in Dutch, perk).
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2026
Hired in the foreign transactions department, Eliot toiled at a desk in the bank’s basement.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
While the opera Lulu was playing out front, the tuner and his son toiled backstage.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The story’s most significant character, save Miranda herself, is Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who once toiled alongside Emily in the assistant trenches and finally surpassed her.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Cassie’s sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) toiled as an assistant on a nighttime soap opera.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026
While the Knicks toiled, the Rangers had decent success — until Dolan decided to leave the Knicks alone and ruin the Rangers by firing general manager Jeff Gorton and Rangers President John Davidson.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
For the last four years, the players on stage toiled to reach this moment.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The roughly 1,000 Bandanese who survived were enslaved alongside other laborers under the perkenier system, where hundreds of workers toiled on each plantation (in Dutch, perk).
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2026
Hired in the foreign transactions department, Eliot toiled at a desk in the bank’s basement.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
While the opera Lulu was playing out front, the tuner and his son toiled backstage.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The story’s most significant character, save Miranda herself, is Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who once toiled alongside Emily in the assistant trenches and finally surpassed her.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toiled
Verb
-
The start didn’t get much easier for Bradley, who labored through a four-inning effort and suffered the loss against the Pirates.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
-
The Thunder labored through a 111-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in a decisive Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Jalen Brunson has 19 points to lead New York, but the Knicks have struggled to avoid fouls on defense and struggled to make foul shots on the other end.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
Rushing out onto the beach, George struggled to comprehend what had happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Each one she’s ever worked with has their own unique personality.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Director Max Winkler worked closely with the two actors to create a rapport that could inform their face-offs, which operate on rage and fear.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toiled. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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