1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travail
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
For all United’s ongoing travails, the Europa League offers a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
—Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
George Michael’s travails deserve to be seen so clearly.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
To be sure, the travails of one single company do not speak for Asia's third-biggest economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for travail
Noun
Even acquiring a thermometer has become, in our modern times, a travail.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
For all United’s ongoing travails, the Europa League offers a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
—Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
George Michael’s travails deserve to be seen so clearly.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
To be sure, the travails of one single company do not speak for Asia's third-biggest economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for travail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travail
Noun
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Kahle said that includes providing resources to participants for whom sharing experiences of intimate partner violence may cause trauma or mental health distress.—
Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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Costa Rican officials have disputed reports by the country’s Ombudsman’s Office that the deportees arrived in Costa Rica in visible distress and that authorities failed to guarantee proper conditions for arriving deportees.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trying to manage them can feel like a daily battle, and that doesn't take into account the manual labor that goes into pulling them by hand.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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The day continues with tending the land, caring for the animals, milking the sheep and goats and preparing the food and goods from our labor.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The report underscores the urgent need for changes ensuring all women receive safe and equitable care during pregnancy and childbirth.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
16 Apr. 2025
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Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are some of the leading causes of death for girls between the ages of 15 to 19 across the world, according to the WHO.—
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech,
The Hill,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Finding And Managing Leads Another challenge is generating high-quality leads, as many new agents struggle to find enough prospects early on, leading to frustration and burnout.—
David Price,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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In Trump's first term, Republicans often struggled to pass major legislation despite holding full control of government, and the party is likely fearing history repeating itself.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ellie is stricken with agony, her reaction almost feral.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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The agony of not knowing was heartbreakingly illustrated by the plight of Oscar Johnson, of St. Charles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump has argued otherwise saying in his order that rather than fostering unity, ''the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame, disregarding the progress America has made.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear arguments in a high-profile dispute over efforts in Oklahoma to create an online Catholic charter school, a case that could open the door to public dollars flowing directly to religious schools.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Growing Global Demand For Automation Companies from different industries are striving to increase efficiency, reduce costs and solve the problem of labor shortages.—
Anton Alikov,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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There is something about the energy, the belief and people striving to achieve the same thing — things happen.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But Season 2, by leaning so far into its characters’ anguish, has become more circular and suffocating in its storytelling.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
21 Apr. 2025
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Coogler attempts to out-scare Jordan Peele’s Get Out, using horror tropes to match the anguish expressed by the blues.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travail. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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