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
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
Andrews faces an uphill climb in a deep-red state but believes voters are ready for change.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Facing him must be like running a marathon uphill with a 50-pound backpack full of constantly shifting liquid with tape over your mouth and one nostril.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uphill
Adjective
But even with that long-range strategy, the property tax phase-out faces an uphill struggle, having sparked objections from Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
Andrews faces an uphill climb in a deep-red state but believes voters are ready for change.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Noun
For instance, walking or hiking uphill or traversing across rocks up staircases can improve results.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Facing him must be like running a marathon uphill with a 50-pound backpack full of constantly shifting liquid with tape over your mouth and one nostril.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uphill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphill
Adjective
-
No matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 June 2025
-
Protein powder can be difficult to digest Protein powder contains especially high concentrations of protein.—
MISAKI KAWATSU,
Vogue,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Avoid open fields, hill peaks, or ridge tops.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2025
-
The ride also was known for its dramatic 17-story, straight-up lift hill right out of the loading station.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The rise of one of this season’s greatest scene-stealers makes for a challenging conundrum — how far does the apple fall from the tree?—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
3 June 2025
-
Building wealth can be a challenging task, especially in challenging economic times.—
Anne-Lyse Ngatta,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Walk on an incline (such as by walking up hills or increasing the incline on a treadmill).4 Pump your arms.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
10 June 2025
-
Steinwald has worked with trainers to build stamina and endurance for inclines and elevation.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Their final test is the toughest in a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers, the same team that just last year took them to seven games in the Stanley Cup Final before the Panthers ultimately prevailed.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
-
When staring at twin suns like from much greater distances — many light-years away — astronomers have a much tougher time than young Skywalker in determining two stars from one.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
-
Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation ensures accrediting agencies uphold rigorous standards.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
-
These days, most people delivering your forecasts are scientists with rigorous training in calculus, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, atmospheric physics and the other meteorological coursework.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The nausea is now mostly in the past, Lauren says, and the Lanes are realizing that getting ready for a third child isn’t as demanding as earlier preparations.—
Nancy Kruh,
People.com,
30 May 2025
-
Work and home will be equally demanding, as Venus meets with Jupiter on June 4.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uphill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphill. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share