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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Building wealth can be a challenging task, especially in challenging economic times.—
Anne-Lyse Ngatta,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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The rise of one of this season’s greatest scene-stealers makes for a challenging conundrum — how far does the apple fall from the tree?—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The nausea is now mostly in the past, Lauren says, and the Lanes are realizing that getting ready for a third child isn’t as demanding as earlier preparations.—
Nancy Kruh,
People.com,
30 May 2025
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Work and home will be equally demanding, as Venus meets with Jupiter on June 4.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
27 May 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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This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.—
Scott Stringer,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
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There are powerful levers to pull if Trump chooses, like increasing US military aid or imposing tough new sanctions, such as those overwhelmingly supported in the US Senate.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The Council for Higher Education Accreditation ensures accrediting agencies uphold rigorous standards.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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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
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 17 Jun. 2025.
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