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
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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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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
Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
The company is working to position itself in the larger agricultural sector, which has seen growing challenges with rising costs, climate change impacts, labor shortages and more.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
Massimo Calabresi, Time, 24 July 2025
And yet, that dissonance stirred again: this was ancestral land, yes, but whose ancestors had labored here, and whose still held the deed?
—Essence, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
The group says the law would increase costs and burdens on restaurants that are already struggling with rising food prices, tariffs, labor shortages and cost-conscious consumers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
The company is working to position itself in the larger agricultural sector, which has seen growing challenges with rising costs, climate change impacts, labor shortages and more.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meloni has embraced the European Union, NATO, and Ukraine, worked to isolate China, and labored deftly to reconcile the fractious relationships between America and Europe during the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
—Massimo Calabresi, Time, 24 July 2025
And yet, that dissonance stirred again: this was ancestral land, yes, but whose ancestors had labored here, and whose still held the deed?
—Essence, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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Gutekunst, whose job may be on the line this season under new team president Ed Policy, took out his driver and swung away.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News pundit who used that job to spout election disinformation for Donald Trump in 2020, has not proven to be a very effective federal prosecutor.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Understanding the Internal Operating System Many successful people operate on the assumption that more effort, more hours, and more aggressive strategies will inevitably create results.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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Despite pouring millions into the ecosystem, corporate innovation efforts often fail to deliver real, measurable ROI.—
Michael Johnson,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Another says Stan Lee, frustrated by years of toil churning out uninspiring comics, was prompted by his wife to try something new that would excite him.—
Oliver Staley,
Time,
25 July 2025
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Poets toil as often-anonymous individuals building some greater nest, colony, or hive that might outlast us or end up squashed and swept away unceremoniously.—
Hannah Brooks-Motl
June 2,
Literary Hub,
2 June 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.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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Experts note that those who experienced chronic malnutrition early in life face a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.—
Juwayriah Wright,
Time,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Nissan delays production of three new electric SUVs at its Mississippi plant until 2028, a three-year postponement.—
Stuart Dyos,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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The company announced full production started Aug. 19.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Most entrepreneurs struggle to differentiate themselves and attract their target audience.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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So in the midst of poverty imposed by the American embargo and the frequent stupidity of their own government, Cubans struggle to eke out a life.—
Charles Hammer,
Kansas City Star,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As noted by The Register, one issue that could cause headaches for users is if organizations use onmicrosoft.com as their primary SMTP address.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
24 Aug. 2025
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Anyone can contract Legionnaire’s disease by inhaling tiny drops containing the bacteria, and the symptoms—fever, headache, shortness of breath—appear within days.—
Dylan Scott,
Wired News,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The challenging program included works by Schumann, Wagner, and Richard Strauss.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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All leaders—from new managers to seasoned executives—must delegate tasks to free up time and attention for the big-picture work their more-senior roles demand.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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