1
as in to emphasize
to speak or write about insistently and usually tiresomely
stop belaboring the fact that they're already in debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
there's no need to belabor other people's flaws when you're hardly perfect yourself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
with a whip he belabored a horse almost to the point of death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belabor
This isn’t to belabor the point of the final three weeks, because the Chiefs didn’t exactly have much of anything to play for.
—
Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Perhaps that’s why the Dardennes don’t belabor the dynamics among the mothers themselves, who all get along well enough.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
The movie is effervescent; there’s nothing belabored about it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The civil trial between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has been postponed for two months, belaboring an already laborious process.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belabor
Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Perhaps that’s why the Dardennes don’t belabor the dynamics among the mothers themselves, who all get along well enough.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
The movie is effervescent; there’s nothing belabored about it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The civil trial between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has been postponed for two months, belaboring an already laborious process.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belabor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belabor
Verb
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Not long after October 7th, on a Zoom call with more than a hundred influential figures in Hollywood, Brous emphasized her profound sympathy for Israelis; two board members at her synagogue had relatives in Israel who’d been killed or kidnapped by Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Writers said the article emphasized findings that were subjective and susceptible to bias.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At that point, Cupe allegedly became agitated and attacked the bystander with a box cutter, slashing him across the chest.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trump has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
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The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the stunt goes south as Wooley turns out to be an unabashed bigot who embarrasses the show and gets scolded by the host.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
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This cross-partisan skit is refreshing and the only people who might hate it are Cuomo supporters and maybe some woke scolds.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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If a friend volunteers input, accept their assistance with gratitude rather than doing everything alone for the best results.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On this postcard-perfect corner of Canada’s northeastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador that’s slammed by wind and waves, cod-fishing communities hold on to their distinctive settler history.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
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On Sunday, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees slammed Congress for leaving Washington for the Easter/Passover break without reaching an agreement on funding DHS.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Senior Assistant County Attorney Bryan Schmid argued in court filings that Scott failed to show the law is unconstitutional and suggested that Scott could create his website and post his videos with redactions to hide the personal information in the clips.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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Check and uncheck the boxes next each candidate to show/hide their responses.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cease insulting allies and encourage mediation by Pakistan and Turkey.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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The characters don’t know, and the real-life writing staff, Fogelman seems to suggest, won’t insult our intelligence by pretending to.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belabor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belabor. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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