as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
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Recent Examples of elbow grease
Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work.
—
Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
How to Remove Turmeric Stains from Countertops If turmeric spills on the countertop during cooking, the resulting stains can be removed with pantry staples and elbow grease.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025
Robot vacuums are a must-have companion that can help check chores off your to-do list — all without any elbow grease.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
How to Remove Turmeric Stains from Countertops If turmeric spills on the countertop during cooking, the resulting stains can be removed with pantry staples and elbow grease.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025
Robot vacuums are a must-have companion that can help check chores off your to-do list — all without any elbow grease.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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The team hopes that the discovery showing the ancient human connection to great bustards spurs more conservation efforts to keep this population from going extinct.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
17 Apr. 2025
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Such efforts have already led to the restoration of funding in Republican districts following federal cuts that impacted farmers and rural areas.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His work involved securing software using AI to find and close any loopholes where someone could exploit a vulnerability in the code.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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According to the 2023 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 60% of employees say financial stress affects their performance at work.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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