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
Sometimes, this can involve a minor touch-up, such as adding a bit of fresh soil, but at other times, these maintenance tasks require more elbow grease and finesse.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
How To Clean The Inside Of A Glass Oven Door
Cleaning the inside of your oven door is easy but may require some elbow grease.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 June 2025
Made to wrap around each individual lash and wash away with warm water, tubing mascaras don’t require much elbow grease to apply or remove.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 3 Apr. 2025
For the ultimate cheap, minimalist, homemade cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar paired with elbow grease will do the trick for many tasks (though baking soda can harm certain materials like aluminum, so do your research).
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
How To Clean The Inside Of A Glass Oven Door
Cleaning the inside of your oven door is easy but may require some elbow grease.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 June 2025
Made to wrap around each individual lash and wash away with warm water, tubing mascaras don’t require much elbow grease to apply or remove.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 3 Apr. 2025
For the ultimate cheap, minimalist, homemade cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar paired with elbow grease will do the trick for many tasks (though baking soda can harm certain materials like aluminum, so do your research).
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
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His comments came as national governments blocked significant merger efforts, not due to strategy, but due to politics.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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Those stockpiling efforts surged this year as steep — and unexpectedly expansive — tariffs came into view and during periods in which they were postponed or lessened.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
10 July 2025
Noun
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But the story is more about his work and his life and his relationship to his mother and his relationship to his mentor, Isabella Blow, in a very theatrical performance.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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The big question here is, how will this more-than-a-decade-old lens work with the latest and greatest autofocus?—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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