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
In what likely will be a preview of what’s to come for the Dodgers (32-20) over a grueling portion of their schedule in the next month, the team’s fate Saturday was almost entirely reliant upon the performance of their starter.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Sunday’s race marks the longest — and arguably most grueling — race on the schedule.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2025
Speaking candidly, the Hollywood star, Hip-Hop icon, and beauty ambassador recalled the emotional weight of that mirror scene: sitting fully nude, looking at her reflection after a grueling day in the life of the legendary jazz singer.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 May 2025
The drivers will travel 600 miles, completing 400 laps in what could be considered one of the most grueling races of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Sunday’s race marks the longest — and arguably most grueling — race on the schedule.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2025
Speaking candidly, the Hollywood star, Hip-Hop icon, and beauty ambassador recalled the emotional weight of that mirror scene: sitting fully nude, looking at her reflection after a grueling day in the life of the legendary jazz singer.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 May 2025
The drivers will travel 600 miles, completing 400 laps in what could be considered one of the most grueling races of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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These connections are difficult to make from within, but consultants are trained to see across boundaries.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The rise of one of this season’s greatest scene-stealers makes for a challenging conundrum — how far does the apple fall from the tree?—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
3 June 2025
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Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The nausea is now mostly in the past, Lauren says, and the Lanes are realizing that getting ready for a third child isn’t as demanding as earlier preparations.—
Nancy Kruh,
People.com,
30 May 2025
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Work and home will be equally demanding, as Venus meets with Jupiter on June 4.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Transsexuals are people who have gone through a long, arduous process of: counseling, hormone therapy, and operations.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
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So no one has ever made a fully reusable orbital vehicle, and even the parts that have been reusable have been extremely arduous to reuse, such that the economics actually were worse than an expendable rocket in a lot of cases.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.—
Scott Stringer,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
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When staring at twin suns like from much greater distances — many light-years away — astronomers have a much tougher time than young Skywalker in determining two stars from one.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The Council for Higher Education Accreditation ensures accrediting agencies uphold rigorous standards.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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These days, most people delivering your forecasts are scientists with rigorous training in calculus, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, atmospheric physics and the other meteorological coursework.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Keep a distance from tall, solitary trees or other elevated structures.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2025
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The brand offers petite, regular and tall, accommodating many shapes and sizes.—
Jené Luciani Sena
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 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 11 Jun. 2025.
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