as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Recent Examples of toiling
Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are the worker bees of academia, toiling in labs for years in hopes of one day running their own hive.
—
Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
Those past records found the artist toiling through major personal losses, including his mother in 2016 and his sister in 2019.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
After a decade of toiling largely behind the scenes, David decided to take some credit.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In Ishmaelle’s case that meant toiling away in poverty for the rest of her life back in Kent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
But for those who’d been toiling away on humanoid robots for decades, Musk’s announcement was something more than a publicity stunt.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Between 1906 and 1935, thousands of men – and later women – left their hometowns in the Ilocos and Visayas regions of the Philippines for Hawaii, toiling on plantations alongside other immigrant workers.
—Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
In the 106 years since, humanity has remained captivated by the notion that machines could take over our daily work, as well as by the grim but entertaining idea that toiling automata will get murderously sick of picking up laundry.
—David M. Ewalt, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
But while everyone else in his onscreen family is always dressed in their southern best, it is often remarked that Cooper — who is frequently toiling at the oil fields — smells bad or needs a shower and deodorant.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
Those past records found the artist toiling through major personal losses, including his mother in 2016 and his sister in 2019.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
After a decade of toiling largely behind the scenes, David decided to take some credit.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In Ishmaelle’s case that meant toiling away in poverty for the rest of her life back in Kent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
But for those who’d been toiling away on humanoid robots for decades, Musk’s announcement was something more than a publicity stunt.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Between 1906 and 1935, thousands of men – and later women – left their hometowns in the Ilocos and Visayas regions of the Philippines for Hawaii, toiling on plantations alongside other immigrant workers.
—Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
In the 106 years since, humanity has remained captivated by the notion that machines could take over our daily work, as well as by the grim but entertaining idea that toiling automata will get murderously sick of picking up laundry.
—David M. Ewalt, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
But while everyone else in his onscreen family is always dressed in their southern best, it is often remarked that Cooper — who is frequently toiling at the oil fields — smells bad or needs a shower and deodorant.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toiling
Verb
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The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bear, struggling with drug addiction, had no one urging her to fight the state’s case.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are filmmakers in Hollywood now, working under the same conditions — bloody conflict abroad, corruption in politics, monolithic mainstream entertainment — and striving for a similar freedom.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Learning a new skill is key to staying relevant in what Jake confirmed is the rapidly evolving K-pop universe, one that is quick to react to trends and changes as the industry cranks out a steady stream of new acts, each striving to carve a unique lane to break through to global audiences.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The launcher carries six 300 mm rockets and is operated by a small crew working from within an armored cabin designed to protect against shrapnel and small-arms fire, according to reports.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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The bold plan did not pan out, and NASA is currently working to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 — the timeframe the agency had been working toward in the Obama era.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toiling. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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