toils 1 of 2

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
This has been a turbulent window for Villa, not only against the backdrop of such challenges but also the toils involved in moving current players on. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toils
Noun
  • English also says that protective or tight styles can also lead to matting if left in too long, by compacting tangles at the base.
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Aside from Blast vacuuming, the X9 improves on the X8 by adding zero-tangle technology to the side brush and the main brush.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The man, whom the magazine did not identify citing privacy concerns, cut his shin on a bait fish trap on a pier in an inlet that leads to the bay.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Her latest project, monitoring 50 camera traps in the understudied Atascosa highlands region in southern Arizona resulted in a remarkable discovery.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But if a team struggles to run the ball or pass the ball, the head coach is left to praise… the kicking game.
    Howard Megdal, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Ansari’s main idea was to show the gig economy, and those stuck on the lower end of the economic scale’s struggles just to say alive.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Amazon took a hit as some investors feared its web services division was falling behind Microsoft’s Azure.
    Julie Coleman, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Now retired, Andra loved her job working for the federal government and strives to make a difference in the world around her.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The brand strives to offer a premium denim look at prices more accessible than other premium denim brands.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Humpback whales — which are found throughout all the Earth’s oceans — regularly face threats from entanglements with fishing gear, in addition to vessel strikes and ocean noise, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Measures would typically be taken to protect business continuity, prevent unwanted entanglement and maintain control of her brand.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Eliécer Camacho Jiménez, former general of the Colombian National Police (the organization that works closely with the DEA on combatting drug trafficking in Colombia), told me there are growing divisions within Maduro's circles.
    Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • That people might be falling for the Minneapolis shooter’s scribblings and raging at each other over potential motivations is likely thrilling to potential copycat killers—proof that the troll still works.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Utilizing cameras to target offenders can both help the police deploy limited resources efficiently and — when combined with facial recognition or bike-registration data — snare offenders remotely.
    Steve Cohen, New York Daily News, 13 July 2025
  • Complaining about the rich comes with many snares, as events reminded Anwar last week.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toils. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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