as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work
you may have to spend some time working as a grub before challenging work comes your way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort
grubbing away at the yard work before the first snow of the season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grubs
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
The adult beetles emerge in late spring to early summer, but the larvae, or grubs, also are responsible for chewing on turf grass roots in mid to late summer.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grubs
Noun
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The figure in Nepal is even higher — 20% — which observers say has pushed young people to leave the country in droves to find jobs in neighboring India as well as in other regions such as the Middle East, where they’re often employed as laborers.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
15 Sep. 2025
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The three of them crammed into a single room in a small blue house full of Spanish-speaking laborers.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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High-skilled workers will see income growth, while low-skill workers will be competing for a decreasing number of job openings.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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If tax records and documents do not add up, employers and employees may be arrested and detained as investigators sort out who is illegally present in the United States or illegally employing workers.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In recent decades, as China has laid down vast networks of high-speed rail and thrown up shimmering cities, Americans have developed a deepening sense that their own country struggles to get things done.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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He was sacked six times by a team that struggles to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite the glitz and glam of her showbiz career, Sweeney strives to keep her feet on the ground amid her growing It Girl status.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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An assertive Iran has been especially a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia, which strives to be the dominant Muslim majority power in the region.—
David Mednicoff,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ten category winners will receive $50,000 each, with one school taking home $500,000 to scale what works.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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But that only works if there’s honesty about what went wrong and humility in how to correct it.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grubs. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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