as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tangle
usually toils plural
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toil
Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Five minutes of full-on grappling, a tangle of limbs and toil that felt a little like a fight for survival: concept of dignity redefined.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
Chelsea finally managed to put Fulham under sustained pressure that did not abate even when Maresca made his boldest decision of all: to replace the toiling Nicolas Jackson with Cobham graduate George in the 78th minute.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Noun
Others are brilliant master watchmakers who long toil for other brands and one day strike out on their own to prove their mettle.
—Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Five minutes of full-on grappling, a tangle of limbs and toil that felt a little like a fight for survival: concept of dignity redefined.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
Since there was essentially no housing stock at the time, boarding houses were built into the design of the city and were owned by the corporations where their tenants toiled.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025
Chelsea finally managed to put Fulham under sustained pressure that did not abate even when Maresca made his boldest decision of all: to replace the toiling Nicolas Jackson with Cobham graduate George in the 78th minute.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
-
Brightline has labored to increase ridership along its 170-mile extension to Orlando from West Palm Beach.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
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Each creator contributed immensely to American art and culture, while laboring in an industry that, until recently, produced very little financial rewards or respect.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
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While many companies have struggled to define their policies, bouncing between strict return-to-office mandates and hybrid compromises, Logitech has taken a different path.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Rob Crossan January 17, 2025 Marketed as a luxury tourist destination, the Maldives struggles with the legacy of an authoritarian government and the existential threat of climate change.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
23 May 2025
Verb
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What Thornton is striving toward, an embrace of generosity, of humanity being able to change what faith and religion even mean, is often moving.—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
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Businesses should be able to write off the full expense of their capital investments in the year they are made, and the Senate should strive to cut spending elsewhere to balance out the revenue losses from making bonus depreciation permanent.—
The Editors,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Verb
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In rubble there is always opportunity, especially for a first-time manager who has worked his whole life for this chance.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
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The data doesn't lie: vaccines work, including against COVID-19.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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