toils 1 of 2

Definition of toilsnext
plural of toil
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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toils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of toil

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 toils
Noun
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
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
  • After spraying this before a braid takedown, my hair was visibly softer and easier to mange through tangles.
    Caché McClay, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Having the best brush for your dog will keep its coat free of tangles and might even prevent a big bill at the groomer’s.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Some people even shared old photos of Indigenous peoples wearing the hoods, noting that the originators of the design kept the fur outward to break cold wind and trap snow.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
  • At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The chain’s anniversary comes as the restaurant industry struggles with declining traffic.
    Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Nvidia became the world’s first $5 trillion company, the biggest AI players like Meta and Google raised their AI spend from previous forecasts, and OpenAI placed itself at the center of a web of multi-million-dollar deals focused on accelerating AI development.
    Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Continue reading … PHANTOM MENACE – Popular browser tools caught stealing passwords and tracking web activity since 2017.
    , FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The development comes as Netflix strives to become more competitive with its peers in the battle to win ad dollars from Madison Avenue.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Everyone strives for that state and pours their love into it.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This transit can also expose hidden motives in relationships, financial entanglements and even regarding our sense of self-worth.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Being buried in dry science explainers is part of what makes those concepts—nonlocality, entanglement, black hole gravity—difficult to understand.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • These Hokas are the rare travel shoe that works across all ages, activity levels, and destinations.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The company works closely with mental health professionals to ensure its technology aligns with clinical practice rather than replacing it.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But the trial quickly hit a snare Tuesday after the state brought Paul Yaras with the Illinois Department of Revenue to present expert testimony on the business owners’ tax returns.
    Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
  • The Rolling Stones were defined by the sound of Charlie Watts’s snare from their first public breakthrough.
    John Lingan, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toils. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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