variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grueling
Theoretically, minimizing a grueling 162-game regular season into a single contest to determine who advances is abhorrent.
—
Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
He’s played a grueling schedule with AC Milan this season, one that concludes Sunday, a week before the national team reports to camp in Chicago.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Early morning calls, long transfers by car and often very late finishes, the Explorer Project is a grueling undertaking.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
During the grueling battle for Bakhmut, Yenot told me, Ukraine had too few shells, and those it did have had been produced by a hodgepodge of foreign companies.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
He’s played a grueling schedule with AC Milan this season, one that concludes Sunday, a week before the national team reports to camp in Chicago.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Early morning calls, long transfers by car and often very late finishes, the Explorer Project is a grueling undertaking.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
During the grueling battle for Bakhmut, Yenot told me, Ukraine had too few shells, and those it did have had been produced by a hodgepodge of foreign companies.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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No matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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Despite her risky gambit, Metcalfe, who is studying to be an attorney at the University of Law in Manchester, England, admits that her sport has helped her through some of the most difficult times of her life.—
Andy Frye,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Oakmont is a notoriously challenging course, a venue that has already seen big-name players like defending champion Bryson DeChambeau fail to make it through to the last two rounds.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
14 June 2025
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Preparing to shoot the live-action footage was also challenging.—
Kambole Campbell,
Variety,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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All have long-standing reputations and a superb stock that will meet the requirements of the most demanding connoisseur.—
Felipe Schrieberg,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
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Liberatore is a professional shaped by the demanding and deeply influential disciplines of medicine and law.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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This process can be arduous, so fortunately, couples don’t have to go through it alone.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
5 June 2025
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Our experience through the adoption process was arduous.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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The vote took place against an increasingly violent backlash to the Trump administration's tough immigration policies.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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In Mind For startups, achieving more with less can be tough.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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These days, most people delivering your forecasts are scientists with rigorous training in calculus, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, atmospheric physics and the other meteorological coursework.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The Council for Higher Education Accreditation ensures accrediting agencies uphold rigorous standards.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Keep a distance from tall, solitary trees or other elevated structures.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2025
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In a region defined by private estates and tall hedges, the Cutticas see sharing their land—and creating a space for both experimentation and celebration—as a duty.—
Alessandra Schade,
Vogue,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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