variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grueling
Huang is famous in Silicon Valley for keeping a grueling schedule of fourteen-hour days, seven days a week.
—
Carmine Gallo, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
DeShields dealt with severe tremors throughout her body and experienced frequent pain and numbness in her feet due to the nerve damage in her back during a grueling rehab process.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2025
Rios said she felt betrayed by Kim, having voted for the representative in a grueling election that saw the Orange County conservative win her third consecutive term in November.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The 7-second clip shows the tiny puppy sprawled out with its belly up, lying limply across its owner's chest and neck, as if drained from a grueling day of activity.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Carmine Gallo, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
DeShields dealt with severe tremors throughout her body and experienced frequent pain and numbness in her feet due to the nerve damage in her back during a grueling rehab process.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2025
Rios said she felt betrayed by Kim, having voted for the representative in a grueling election that saw the Orange County conservative win her third consecutive term in November.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The 7-second clip shows the tiny puppy sprawled out with its belly up, lying limply across its owner's chest and neck, as if drained from a grueling day of activity.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Having a terminal diagnosis is challenging but also clarifying.—
Ashley M. Wilcox,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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But in more challenging economic times, homeowners are seeking ways to make upgrades without breaking the bank.—
Janeé Bolden,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Scene-stealing comedic parts in the Pitch Perfect franchise and on series like Modern Family led to more physically demanding opportunities in series like The Righteous Gemstones.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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Here’s a brief comparison between top programs in the United States and the United Kingdom: • U.S. Programs (e.g., Wharton, Kellogg): These are typically two years long with frequent in-person sessions; these programs offer an immersive but demanding experience.—
Shai Zamanian,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In a statement provided by her attorney to THR, Smith denied the claims of abuse, arduous working hours and dearth of appropriate compensation and said that Rockelle had appeared in several accusers’ videos without payment or common labor protections.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
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After four arduous episodes of beating Wihan’s dead horse, conflict is finally escalating again.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the Lotus ladies will have some tough competition, including seven-time winner Allison Janney, two-time winner Patricia Arquette, and potential double nominee Kaitlyn Dever.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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What tough lessons does Cole learn through the process of getting involved with a patient this season?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the cost of such rigorous theming: Since you’re supposed to be inside a game, anything that gets in the way of that illusion is banned.—
Todd Anderson,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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To receive autism certification through Autism Double Checked, staff at participating properties go through rigorous training on how to best support their autistic guests, such as how to adapt a menu for a picky eater and how to avoid strongly scented cleaning products.—
Jamie Davis Smith,
AFAR Media,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The suspect was described as a man about 6 feet tall who had his face covered.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
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Keep a distance from tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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