elbow grease
noun
: hard work
There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.—
Andy Shafran
Andy Shafran
especially
: vigorously applied physical labor or effort
Best of all, the metal handle is bendable, making it easy to defat liquids of varying depths. Kudos to a kitchen tool that spares elbow grease. —Grace Young
Grace Young Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence
It's going to take some elbow grease to get this counter clean.
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
Recent Examples on the Web
Thankfully, there are dedicated mold cleaners that get the job done without all the elbow grease on your part.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
For spring cleaning gadgets, try this Roomba robot vacuum to make messes disappear without any elbow grease, as well as the Swiffer PowerMop to make floors really sparkle.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Then, buff out the marks with a sponge (this will take a bit of elbow grease), and finally, rinse off the Bar Keepers Friend before drying.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2025
Using a good-quality leather cleaner and a little elbow grease is the simplest way to keep your leather goods in premium condition.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
For spring cleaning gadgets, try this Roomba robot vacuum to make messes disappear without any elbow grease, as well as the Swiffer PowerMop to make floors really sparkle.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Then, buff out the marks with a sponge (this will take a bit of elbow grease), and finally, rinse off the Bar Keepers Friend before drying.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2025
Using a good-quality leather cleaner and a little elbow grease is the simplest way to keep your leather goods in premium condition.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elbow%20grease. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share