as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
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Recent Examples of elbow grease
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
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
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
Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Mar. 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
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
Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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The vast majority of Customer Success leaders (89%) are making scale and efficiency a primary goal of their efforts, according to a survey of research conducted by Gainsight.—
Stephen Diorio,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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And this year, thousands of year-round and seasonal National Parks workers — including rangers, wildlife researchers and maintenance staff — have been fired and rehired as part of the DOGE efforts to slash the size of the federal government.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
The Leo full moon on the 12th encourages you to step into the spotlight, especially in your work or daily routines.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 June 2025
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For somebody just graduating from college, entry-level work is the name of the game.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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