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

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

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

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.

In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews The Bottom Line Our Testing Process More To Consider Tips for Choosing Questions and Answers Why Trust Southern Living Cleaning tile floors using a bucket, mop, and elbow grease may be character-building, but the results often leave much to be desired. —

Maria Conti, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2025 Animal lovers, don’t miss your chance to stay at this heritage breed farm–no labor and elbow grease required. —

Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2025 Providing a phone, a car, a place to do laundry, or a little bit of elbow grease can fill a gap and let firefighters and other formal responders focus on critical operations. —

James Kendra, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2025 With some time, money, and elbow grease, a fixer-upper can be a pocket-friendly way to make your dream house yourself. —

Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for elbow grease