as in struggling
to devote serious and sustained effort
it took days of digging away at the subject, but he understands it thoroughly now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digging (away)
Verb
-
Bear, struggling with drug addiction, had no one urging her to fight the state’s case.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026 -
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There are filmmakers in Hollywood now, working under the same conditions — bloody conflict abroad, corruption in politics, monolithic mainstream entertainment — and striving for a similar freedom.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Learning a new skill is key to staying relevant in what Jake confirmed is the rapidly evolving K-pop universe, one that is quick to react to trends and changes as the industry cranks out a steady stream of new acts, each striving to carve a unique lane to break through to global audiences.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The launcher carries six 300 mm rockets and is operated by a small crew working from within an armored cabin designed to protect against shrapnel and small-arms fire, according to reports.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The bold plan did not pan out, and NASA is currently working to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 — the timeframe the agency had been working toward in the Obama era.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Digging (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digging%20%28away%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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