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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Seeing them at all used to be very rare, but sightings are increasing as their numbers grow thanks to conservation efforts.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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President Trump’s 2026 budget would freeze spending for many services for older adults, deeply cut others, continue his efforts to slash government staffing for key programs, and abolish a critical federal office that manages many of those initiatives.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 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 8 Jun. 2025.
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