as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
an uphill battle to eradicate poverty in an area of the state that has never known anything else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hill
an upward slope
no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 uphill
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Fighting altitude sickness, sunburn, rain and hail, Cai and his fireworks team spent more than a week setting up the explosion trails — aided by drones that ran uphill 600-plus times, waterproof firework pots were placed at various points along the 3,000-meter pathway.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2025
R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 4 July 2025
Overall, its versatile geometry, persistence on uphills, and speed on downhills won our hearts.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uphill
Adjective
The litigation faces both an uphill climb and a narrowing window, as legislatures across the country rush to create special public disclosure carveouts for this information.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Fighting altitude sickness, sunburn, rain and hail, Cai and his fireworks team spent more than a week setting up the explosion trails — aided by drones that ran uphill 600-plus times, waterproof firework pots were placed at various points along the 3,000-meter pathway.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
Like any outdoor sport, starting slow on low-risk, low-consequence roads and trails is best for getting to know your vehicle and practicing essentials like tire placement, navigating blind corners, and dealing with steep uphill and downhill roads.
—R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 4 July 2025
Overall, its versatile geometry, persistence on uphills, and speed on downhills won our hearts.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uphill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphill
Adjective
-
For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Its water supply was perennially ensured with massive reservoirs cut into bedrock to the east of the hill upon which it was founded.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
That’s among the reasons Sunday on the hill at Bethpage Black was perhaps the best moment in Lowry’s golfing life.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The big story Immigration anxieties and a challenging job market have sparked an online backlash over China's latest attempt at attracting global talent — a new visa program announced in August.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
His expertise could greatly benefit Ott, ahead of what is destined to be a challenging year in Phoenix.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Other disruptive technologies of the future could dent their incline.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In January, Unitree showcased its G1 robot’s smooth walking and running system, demonstrating agility, stability, and precise control on inclines and uneven terrain.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Whether the Jedi mind trick played a role Sunday is hard to quantify, but the message was obvious.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The coins will undergo a rigorous conservation process before being given to local museums for public display, according to the company.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
During a recent appearance on Vulture’s Good One podcast, the standup recalled prepping for the rigorous audition process for a year while doing improv and working day jobs in Chicago.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The week before was so demanding with Manchester United, Napoli, and especially Arsenal.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Leaf raking is more eco-friendly as well as more physically demanding and time-consuming.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uphill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphill. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share