1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail
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as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travail
Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
To be sure, the travails of one single company do not speak for Asia's third-biggest economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for travail
Noun
George Michael’s travails deserve to be seen so clearly.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
To be sure, the travails of one single company do not speak for Asia's third-biggest economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
And that will launch a fascinating concurrent Midwest drama to complement the Giants’ quarterback travails out East.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for travail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travail
Noun
-
At the Santa Monica test location after the rains, the level of beryllium — a metal that is toxic to fish and corals and causes respiratory distress in humans — was more than 10 times the maximum limit allowed.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The result: Some doctors and hospitals have held back on treatments, waiting for the fetal heartbeat to stop or for patients to wind up in undeniable distress.—
Kavitha Surana,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Under O’Brien’s leadership, the Teamsters union has engaged with the Trump administration even as other major American labor groups have distanced themselves.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2025
-
In order to assess the risks of industrial labor, states began collecting data about accidents and deaths.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In light of the deal, sources said Rep. Luna will not trigger her bipartisan discharge petition -- which has 218 signatures -- to allow mothers and fathers to vote remotely for up to 12 weeks after childbirth.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2025
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What’s more important is lifestyle, how well the body has recovered since childbirth and genetics.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Royals struggled to pick up his sweeper and slider combination.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The 25-year-old struggled to impact the game and there was a disconnect between her and Clinton, her United team-mate.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
With espresso especially, the right grinder can be the difference between ecstasy, agony, and simple defeat.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
1 Apr. 2025
-
According to the outlet, the agony caused Cornett to remove her name outside her dorm room, temporarily relocate to emergency housing, switch to online classes and continue to spend most of her time in her room.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The designation brought significant support: $103,000 in advertising, $33,000 in polling, and direct contributions from joint fundraising efforts.—
Jason Volack,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The grant terminations have drawn criticism for jeopardizing historical preservation efforts, educational programs like National History Day, and research projects across the country.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Grand Slams have certainly increased their compensation as each strives to make their experience bigger and better.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Passionate about Jewish education and social justice, Olga strives to connect individuals and communities with opportunities to make a difference and support the sustainability of Jewish nonprofits.—
Olga & Igor Alterman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In the episode, Duran describes his mental anguish during that time and some of the steps he’s taken since then to improve his mental health.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
And all of that anguish of going through that process of retrying to develop my body in a way that will never be the same anyway.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travail. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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