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
The offshoot involves the search for the franchise’s next pro dancer, as 12 up-and-coming competitors move into one house and face off in a grueling audition process for a coveted Season 35 slot.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 May 2026
For now, Benyamin will spend some time relaxing after a grueling five years of work.
—Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Williams, who wrote a book about the trial, spent six grueling weeks in the courtroom listening to testimony and viewing at times graphic evidence before finding Murdaugh guilty in March 2023 after just a few hours of deliberations.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Harbaugh plans to run a grueling training camp to try to better prepare the Giants for their early season games, but reversing a decade-plus of bad organizational habits and starts might take time.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 May 2026
For now, Benyamin will spend some time relaxing after a grueling five years of work.
—Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Williams, who wrote a book about the trial, spent six grueling weeks in the courtroom listening to testimony and viewing at times graphic evidence before finding Murdaugh guilty in March 2023 after just a few hours of deliberations.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Harbaugh plans to run a grueling training camp to try to better prepare the Giants for their early season games, but reversing a decade-plus of bad organizational habits and starts might take time.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
During a particularly challenging episode with her mental health, Halverson said, his mother went to stay with her sister in Wisconsin.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Perhaps my teen years and college (particularly the latter) would have not been so challenging emotionally, academically and socially.—
Sahaj Kaur Kohli,
Washington Post,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite his lack of both clothing and confidence, the Wolf eventually found his way to the Master of Life, who was also inspiring but demanding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
That is where the conversation becomes more demanding.—
Gregory Shahnovsky,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Every small business article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of small business products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
The campaign was the work of Claude Hopkins, an advertising executive with a passion for rigorous testing and measurable results.—
Julia Dhar,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Last year's law expanded the SALT deduction to $40,000 from $10,000 after arduous negotiations with Republicans including Lawler, whose district has high local taxes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2026
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Last year’s law expanded the SALT deduction to $40,000 from $10,000 after arduous negotiations with Republicans, including Lawler, whose district has high local taxes.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Hulst setting a hard pace from the gun with Serna trying to hold on long enough to outkick him in the end.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Cuban military, once a formidable expeditionary force during Cold War campaigns in Africa, now struggles with chronic fuel shortages, aging equipment, limited mobility and poor readiness, Pérez said.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The elder Jackson, one of Chicago’s most famous civil rights icons, died in February and left his formidable organization to his son Yusef.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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