as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Recent Examples of toiling
Others — the dreamers and grinders, as Spencer Nusbaum described yesterday — have to take second jobs to make ends meet while toiling away in minor-league baseball.
—
Chris Branch, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The Hippocratic doctors vigorously denounced the religious healers of the day, such as the priests toiling in the temple of Asclepius.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
After months of toiling over the build, the supplier facility produced a version of the product, but on the back of the display, 35 grooves were installed instead of 25.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
The craft, once passed down through generations, is now facing the reality that fewer young people—seduced by high-flying, big-city office jobs—are interested in toiling in its timeworn factories.
—Jessica Binns, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
But a lot of those formative years were spent toiling in London’s open-mic scene and busking on the streets.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Rika spends most of her days toiling in a frozen-foods warehouse, but her new gig is in a museum, where she has been hired to make conversation, in Latin, with an ancient Roman statue of the goddess Venus.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Beyond the basics—such as avoiding August and its toiling hot weather—there are Texas-specific seasons to keep in mind when planning your travels, from catching the Hill Country in bloom to attending your first rodeo or state fair.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Chris Branch, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The Hippocratic doctors vigorously denounced the religious healers of the day, such as the priests toiling in the temple of Asclepius.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
After months of toiling over the build, the supplier facility produced a version of the product, but on the back of the display, 35 grooves were installed instead of 25.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
The craft, once passed down through generations, is now facing the reality that fewer young people—seduced by high-flying, big-city office jobs—are interested in toiling in its timeworn factories.
—Jessica Binns, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
But a lot of those formative years were spent toiling in London’s open-mic scene and busking on the streets.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Rika spends most of her days toiling in a frozen-foods warehouse, but her new gig is in a museum, where she has been hired to make conversation, in Latin, with an ancient Roman statue of the goddess Venus.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Beyond the basics—such as avoiding August and its toiling hot weather—there are Texas-specific seasons to keep in mind when planning your travels, from catching the Hill Country in bloom to attending your first rodeo or state fair.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toiling
Verb
-
For the rest of us, the construction kickoff means delay upon delay as streets, avenues and roads are awash with heavy equipment and construction workers laboring with jackhammers, picks and shovels.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Wagner was healthy in the first four games, Cunningham was still getting his points, but getting them inefficiently, struggling to find rhythm against Wagner’s length and discipline.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
After struggling in his first game back — which Boston won by 32 points to take a 3-1 series lead — the 2023 NBA MVP was a defining figure in Games 5, 6 and 7.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
These families often manage substantial archives through private LLCs, striving to preserve and amplify the artists’ reputations without the institutional backing or capital that buoy larger foundations.—
Angelica Villa,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
-
These organizations, striving to fill the information gap created by the state government’s increasing drift toward secrecy — can’t rely on taxpayers to pay their bills.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adjust the plan, and let that flexibility keep everything working without losing your own direction or sense of independence in the process.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Onscreen, the seduction was working.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toiling. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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