as in labored
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Recent Examples of toiled
Villa had taken the lead in the first half through Morgan but toiled in the second, unable to play as incisively after Andoni Iraola tightened his midfield.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Iger, a longtime ABC executive, had toiled years in the shadow of former Chief Executive Michael Eisner and Disney’s board wanted to give him a shot.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In recent years, the brand has toiled with production and concept campers like few to no other major automakers in the world.
—New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old defenseman, who had toiled for 297 AHL games before getting his first chance at the big time this season with the Bruins, signed a two-year extension with the B’s for an annual salary of $887,500 on Sunday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Others toiled in restaurants and cleaned hotel rooms.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson spent time in and out of shelters in grade school and remembers how her mother toiled to keep her in class and out of harm's way.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
Hawley and Del Toro toiled to figure out how the actors would reshape their performances once in costume.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
All of these men who toiled in the early part of the 20th century lived and loved and paved the way for a nation, one callous and blister at a time.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Iger, a longtime ABC executive, had toiled years in the shadow of former Chief Executive Michael Eisner and Disney’s board wanted to give him a shot.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In recent years, the brand has toiled with production and concept campers like few to no other major automakers in the world.
—New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old defenseman, who had toiled for 297 AHL games before getting his first chance at the big time this season with the Bruins, signed a two-year extension with the B’s for an annual salary of $887,500 on Sunday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Others toiled in restaurants and cleaned hotel rooms.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson spent time in and out of shelters in grade school and remembers how her mother toiled to keep her in class and out of harm's way.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025
Hawley and Del Toro toiled to figure out how the actors would reshape their performances once in costume.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
All of these men who toiled in the early part of the 20th century lived and loved and paved the way for a nation, one callous and blister at a time.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toiled
Verb
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When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
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Johnson labored through a tender calf, cramping and fatigue.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The results showed that while standard chemical leaching struggled without gravity to move fluids, the microbes didn’t blink.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The passenger was able to exit the truck while the suspect, still armed with the knife, struggled with the driver.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the years following his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Puth worked for DeGeneres' eleveneleven label, released a couple of promotional singles, and collaborated on other music, including jingles and theme songs for YouTube personalities.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
8 Feb. 2026
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Epstein hired a team of aggressive, high-profile lawyers, who worked with prosecutors to limit the punishment Epstein faced.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toiled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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