1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toil
very hard or unpleasant work
a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
the mother's labor lasted for six hours
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5
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors
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as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2025
How many massages would feel equal to the labor involved in, say, redoing your back porch?
—Kyle Norris, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Stanek labored through mechanical changes in his first six weeks as a Met last summer, and the team contemplated releasing him.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
Bank of America Securities’ Mohan estimated on Thursday that the labor cost for assembling and testing an iPhone in the U.S. would come in at $200 per iPhone, up from $40 in China.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2025
How many massages would feel equal to the labor involved in, say, redoing your back porch?
—Kyle Norris, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
With many left homeless by the earthquake, and many others staying away from their homes over fears ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Naypyitaw labored in the 40 degree Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) busily erected big tents in open fields to provide some shelter.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Stanek labored through mechanical changes in his first six weeks as a Met last summer, and the team contemplated releasing him.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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However, his later life focused primarily on jobs in tech, including with Intel, Apple and the advertising firm the Overland Agency.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2025
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By this time, Mary had found a part-time IT job paying $26 an hour at a law firm.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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More recently, the CFPB has been a top target of Mr. Trump's government cost-cutting efforts, led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which has sought sweeping cuts to the federal workforce.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2025
-
At the end of March, the Trump administration’s effort to deport foreign students involved in anti-Israel disruptions on campus received an unexpected endorsement.—
Jimmy Quinn,
National Review,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Original Price: $25.99 Sale Price: $23.59 (10% off) Buy Now on Amazon Witches Brew Cauldron Stoneware Mug Double, double toil and trouble… or just coffee?—
Maria Correa,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2025
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In a nation that has built its economic and cultural infrastructure on the toil of Black women, the act of resting—of lying down, of breathing deeply, of existing outside of labor—is nothing short of radical.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Women will learn what bodily changes to expect after giving birth, how to prepare for childbirth and how to maximize recovery.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2025
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Matthew has since shared two Instagram Story posts from the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, raising a lot of questions about what this childbirth complication is and any potential warning signs expectant parents need to be aware of.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There are now more than 100 stunt professionals who are currently members of the Academy’s production and technology branch.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump's quest to conduct a resurgence of coal production and utilization in the U.S. is farfetched and unlikely, according to energy experts.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And their struggling offense is becoming a major concern.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Aside from her talk about specific songs, Roan also opened up about the creative process, which can sometimes be a massive headache, despite her being known for her catalog of fun and peppy songs.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
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Making matters worse, China’s been a real headache for Starbucks, even before the tariffs, on increasing local competition and tepid growth in the world’s second-largest economy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Grace Bastidas, Editor-in-Chief Having a healthy relationship with an ex takes hard work, especially when kids are involved.—
Grace Bastidas,
Parents,
14 Apr. 2025
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And parenting is different from other stressors that most humans are subjected to: A big work project ultimately ends, but motherhood just keeps going.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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