as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
the donkeywork involved in setting up one's own start-up software firm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkeywork
Noun
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The reduction of labor costs via automation, efficiency gains, and increasing digital goods and services would all serve to push prices down.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025 -
Developers face rising costs, labor shortages, and supply constraints.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Republicans were unfazed by Democrats threatening to withhold their votes, accusing them of hypocrisy for condemning GOP efforts to win policy concessions in past funding battles.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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Jackie Young made 4-of-6 from the 3-point line as part of her efforts, finishing with 18 points, seven assists, and three steals, with Jewell Loyd (14 points) and Dana Evans (13 points) contributing well off the bench.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 1850 version mandated that the federal government actively help slave catchers track and apprehend people who’d escaped slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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It’s gotten so bad that, in one of the largest H-2A criminal cases ever, a federal judge described the abuse of these workers as a form of modern-day slavery.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Friction is the artist's struggle, the mentor's challenge, and the co-founder's disagreement.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Those struggles compounded during an alarming first half last season, spurring former coach Peter Laviolette to try something new.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Both women opened up their seasons with monstrous times, with no sign of post-Olympic fatigue.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Physical and psychological illnesses including depression, anxiety, fatigue and oral health issues were also tied to later eating.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The leggings also feature three pockets and are made with sweat-wicking material.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Sep. 2025
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This episode of Watch Party is brought to you by sweat, gold and tiger blood.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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To escape the grind of the city and re-evaluate his life, Isaiah visits his sister, Jess, and teenage niece, Aurora, in upstate New York for the holidays.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
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For many attorneys, the grind of endless deadlines, paperwork, and ungrateful clients can lead to heavy disappointment.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yet, the new Terminal 1 has several stores that take great pains to include local flair.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
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The movie is, in part, about the labor pains of its creator, the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Donkeywork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkeywork. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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