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
Verb
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
  • There are piles of rubble and tangles of cable.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • When that happens, the neuronal structure that tau supports can destabilize in ways that contribute to the formation of tangles.
    Robert Martone, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • An animal control office set up humane traps at the distribution center, where photos of Francine were posted throughout.
    John Raby, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The 2025 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded for the creation of metal-organic frameworks, molecular structures that can capture CO₂, filter pollutants from water, or trap moisture from desert air.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sarr struggles to finish shots through contact against heavier bigs.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Forced to become a bloodsucker as part of Bill's punishment for vanquishing another, Deborah Ann Woll's Jessica struggles with her new, flesh-craving lifestyle.
    Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The app is available in English across 145 countries for all logged-in ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro accounts, on both web and mobile (iOS and Android).
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Those included a successful 2023 case brought by a Colorado web designer who said having to create websites for same-sex weddings would violate her free speech rights.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The goalie, who strives to be in the Vezina Trophy conversation year after year and to lead the Wild to a Stanley Cup, loves Minnesota and loves playing for the Wild, in large part because of the defensive structure in front of him.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Yet Leto never shakes the role’s robotic nature, even as his character strives to become more human, and his acting partners struggle to play off that in a meaningful way.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The characters are diverse and multifaceted, grappling with issues like identity, faith, romantic entanglements and more.
    Deena ElGenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Unexpected Christmas the film revolves around the romantic entanglements, family secrets, old rivalries — and love — that ensue when the Scott family comes together for a holiday reunion.
    Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cisco also partners with groups like its Cisco Disability Action Network to test new tools for accessibility issues and to ensure that a new system works for everyone.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The Sennheiser Momentum 4 are top-level headphones, boasting a remarkable 60-hour battery life, rich and detailed sound, and adaptive ANC that just works, all while being light enough for all-day use.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Christie Jourdain is band leader and snare drummer for The Original Pinettes, the city’s first all-female brass band that formed in 1991.
    Jenny Adams, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • But those Prince-like snares are rounded out with a full string orchestra of Swedish musicians.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toils. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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