sweat over
phrasal verb
sweat over or sweated over; sweating over; sweats over
informal
1
: to work very hard at (something)
She was sweating over her law books all afternoon.
2
: to feel worried or nervous about (something)
After they took the test, they were sweating over their scores.
Examples of sweat over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hall of course was sweating over this because any sudden movement and his head would be blown off.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Equities were flat, and bond yields were up just a tad Tuesday morning, nothing to sweat over.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Watch Belle or Bree sweating over the books, firing staff, or otherwise struggling with the daily grind of running the family’s beloved business.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
Central air systems can range from $30 to $270 per month, while window units typically cost between $20 and $55 monthly—figures that may offer some consolation for those sweating over their energy bills.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Months later, in the tense few days before the 1998 NFL Draft, Polian stormed into his office, sweating over the No. 1 pick.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 22 May 2025
So, instead of sweating over multiple dishes, families seek shortcuts.
—Food Drink Life, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
But Adams, at least publicly, isn’t sweating over Cuomo’s campaign.
—Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Mar. 2025
Even when—spoiler alert—a change in the couple’s circumstances entails a sharp increase in expenses, it’s neither discussed nor sweated over.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
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.
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Equities were flat, and bond yields were up just a tad Tuesday morning, nothing to sweat over.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Watch Belle or Bree sweating over the books, firing staff, or otherwise struggling with the daily grind of running the family’s beloved business.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
Central air systems can range from $30 to $270 per month, while window units typically cost between $20 and $55 monthly—figures that may offer some consolation for those sweating over their energy bills.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Months later, in the tense few days before the 1998 NFL Draft, Polian stormed into his office, sweating over the No. 1 pick.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 22 May 2025
So, instead of sweating over multiple dishes, families seek shortcuts.
—Food Drink Life, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
But Adams, at least publicly, isn’t sweating over Cuomo’s campaign.
—Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Mar. 2025
Even when—spoiler alert—a change in the couple’s circumstances entails a sharp increase in expenses, it’s neither discussed nor sweated over.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sweat over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweat%20over. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share