as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tangle
usually toils plural
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toil
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
While Georgia continued to toil away, Gonzaga’s offense proved to be too much for the Dawgs.
Tennessee 77, Wofford 62
Chaz Lanier scored 29 points to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a wire-to-wire win over No. 15 Wofford.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Noun
Daisy, and a motley group of co-workers, toil in a cottage industry of agencies that evaluate harmful and offensive pictures and videos uploaded to social media.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
The Passover Story, Explained in Kid-Friendly Terms Over 3,000 years ago, a wicked Egyptian king forced the ancient Jewish people (the Israelites) to toil in the heat, constructing buildings and carrying massive bricks.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
While Georgia continued to toil away, Gonzaga’s offense proved to be too much for the Dawgs.
Tennessee 77, Wofford 62
Chaz Lanier scored 29 points to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a wire-to-wire win over No. 15 Wofford.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
-
Then there are interviews, scoops, and other kinds of highly specific reporting; a reporter might labor for months to unearth new information, only for A.I. to hoover it up and fold it into some bland summary.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2025
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Tribal leaders have long labored to be treated as equals by American politicians.—
Sheryl Gay Stolberg,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And their struggling offense is becoming a major concern.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
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Now, nearly a month after signing, the Tucson, Arizona, native is finally back in the big leagues, thanks to the struggling Braves' desperation to fill their outfield slots.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If a cell harbors many black morphogens, for example, and a neighboring cell harbors few of them, then the molecules strive to move such that they are distributed as evenly as possible.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2025
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The school could strive for excellence and integrity while doing fewer things.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By then, Reggie was 31, had graduated college and was working for a pharmaceutical company near San Antonio.—
Paul LaRosa,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Tan was most recently president of Loewe Asia, and has worked for a host of European luxury brands out of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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