as in tangle
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of toils
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
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
Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
The conceit of narrating a year in one’s life through the toils and sensations of the kitchen is one that many have taken up before.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
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
Union itself released a dramatic trailer set in a surgical amphitheater in which a medical team toils away at the sneaker.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
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
-
The property is hidden among a tangle of rural roads and surrounded by windmills, offering a refuge from the bustling local beach of S'Arenal.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The neurodegenerative condition is associated with the buildup of plaques of amyloid protein and tangles of tau protein in the brain, which can develop for a decade or more before visible symptoms such as memory loss or confusion arise.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
True School Freedom Act empowers parents with universal choice—no zip code traps.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
If the federal government insists on misusing courts as traps rather than the place where disputes are legally hashed out, then our justice system needs to find safe ways for people to appear.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The middle-aged woman cured of breast cancer who now struggles to climb stairs because endocrine therapy has carved away her bone density and caused joint aches.—
Gilberto Lopes,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While civilians surf the world wide web like an information superhighway, one prominent lawyer compared inmates’ internet access to a one-lane dirt road.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Nirvanna the Band the Show, which ran as a web series from 2007 to 2010 and then as a sitcom from 2017 to 2018 on Viceland, was not known for its stunts.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sweeney plays Undine Spragg, a fiercely ambitious woman from the Midwest, who strives for the social heights of turn of the century New York.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The Bureau strives to complete all 311 requests within five days.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My guiding principle would be protecting American interests while avoiding unnecessary entanglements—making decisions grounded in facts, realism, and a clear understanding of the regional, economic, and security implications involved.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
When particles interact, entanglement is inevitable.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kasa 1080p Indoor Pan/Tilt Wired Security Camera While not specifically designed for pet owners like the first two options, this Kasa indoor camera works for pet, baby and security-monitoring inside your home.—
Trisha Easto,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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The recent release of Emerald Fennell’s version of Emily Brontë’s 1847 classic has prompted a new wave of debates over literary fidelity, but the truth is that Wuthering Heights works no matter the context or the culture.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The shot of drummer Ilan Rubin pairs a jangly guitar with snare bashing.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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One photographer visited Uganda and captured the striking image of a mountain of snares, used to trap wildlife and confiscated by the nation’s rangers.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toils. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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