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
An entangled humpback whale was recently rescued off the coast of the U.K. following a grueling, multi-day operation, video footage shows.
—
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
Isabella — who is now cancer-free — underwent multiple rounds of radiation, grueling chemotherapy and several surgeries.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025
Saturday night, the Knicks faced their first test in what promises to be a grueling stretch of games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
Balazs decided to open up the Chateau’s nine residential cottages to firefighters who are on breaks from long and grueling shifts and union members from L.A.’s creative industries who were evacuated or lost their homes.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for grueling 
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
Isabella — who is now cancer-free — underwent multiple rounds of radiation, grueling chemotherapy and several surgeries.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025
Saturday night, the Knicks faced their first test in what promises to be a grueling stretch of games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
Balazs decided to open up the Chateau’s nine residential cottages to firefighters who are on breaks from long and grueling shifts and union members from L.A.’s creative industries who were evacuated or lost their homes.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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Nevertheless, the offer could make OpenAI’s reorganization plans more difficult – and significantly more expensive.—
David Goldman,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
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The only thing that could make persuading a group of pandemic skeptics to care about an infectious-disease outbreak more difficult is your boss—the president of the United States—undercutting your raison d’être.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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His back nine was particularly challenging as the weather conditions deteriorated, resulting in one bogey and no birdies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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But Kirby and Danielle said the past year has been incredibly challenging.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Bridge benefit for older workers: Another key proposal is the creation of a bridge benefit for older workers with a history of physically demanding work.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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In July 2023, Kidman told PEOPLE that production for Lioness is a demanding but gratifying process.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Carmen was months into the arduous process of getting her children, 12 and 15, here on Humanitarian Parole.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
The Mercury News,
9 Feb. 2025
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But the arduous process, which can often feel like a full-time job, has begun to consume their lives and take a hefty mental toll.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Both are now promising to stand up to Trump and make tough decisions to make Canada more resilient.—
Stephen Maher,
TIME,
15 Feb. 2025
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His positioning and angles are second to none, making tough saves look easy on a nightly basis in the NHL.—
Jesse Granger,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Using rigorous logical frameworks and Turing-computable methods, BigGraph ensures trustworthy, adaptable outcomes that align with business needs.—
Jason Phillips,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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That is thanks to many decades of rigorous bank supervision and regulation, as well as federal deposit insurance.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The site is surrounded by the remnants of a tall grass prairie that once covered millions of acres of Minnesota and the West.—
John Diers,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Ciel Dubai Marina — set to become the world’s tallest hotel — is scheduled to open this year.—
Karla Cripps,
CNN,
7 Feb. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near grueling
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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