as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
modern machinery has significantly eased the backbreaking work of farming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of backbreaking
Plus, large shovels hold a backbreaking amount of snow.
—
James Jackson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Sep. 2019
Drawing on unprecedented research, Chang shows how these men performed some of the most dangerous, most backbreaking work to build out the railroad from California, yet received virtually no credit for their contributions.
—Chris Fuchs, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2019
Spraying fields with pesticides and fertilizers, the drones -- which can cover up to 60 acres a day -- could boost crop yields, save time and make backbreaking field work much easier, according to Bug Away.
—Sarah Lazarus and Dan Tham, CNN, 3 July 2019
Facing the possibility of major defections, a roster implosion or a backbreaking salary cap position, Brand tap-danced his way through the minefield in impressive fashion.
—Ben Golliver, The Denver Post, 3 July 2019
See all Example Sentences for backbreaking 
James Jackson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Sep. 2019
Drawing on unprecedented research, Chang shows how these men performed some of the most dangerous, most backbreaking work to build out the railroad from California, yet received virtually no credit for their contributions.
—Chris Fuchs, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2019
Spraying fields with pesticides and fertilizers, the drones -- which can cover up to 60 acres a day -- could boost crop yields, save time and make backbreaking field work much easier, according to Bug Away.
—Sarah Lazarus and Dan Tham, CNN, 3 July 2019
Facing the possibility of major defections, a roster implosion or a backbreaking salary cap position, Brand tap-danced his way through the minefield in impressive fashion.
—Ben Golliver, The Denver Post, 3 July 2019
See all Example Sentences for backbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backbreaking
Adjective
-
An at least 200-year-old celebration of French and Mediterranean cuisine, macarons are renowned as the ‘impossible dessert,’ a result of the notoriously involved and difficult baking process.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
-
The manual entry of damage to structures like bridges used to be very expensive and time-consuming, a complex process made even more difficult by the fact that data entry and analysis are performed by both the agency’s own staff and external companies.Stephanie Glenk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Choosing the best baked ham online can be challenging—there are glazed and non-glazed options, spiral-cut and whole, boneless and bone-in, and large or small hams.Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024
-
The hospitality industry grapples with a challenging post-pandemic recovery and mounting environmental pressures.Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In a time when people approach political, social and economic issues with a different set of information and fake news is rampant, the best way to do that is to approach tough conversations with stories rather than facts.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
-
The clients’ storefronts are positioned to succeed in a sometimes tough marketplace by focusing on exclusivity and quality.Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The finding that Israel has perpetrated genocide is a conclusion based on painstaking research and rigorous legal analysis.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
-
The legal profession has long been recognized for its rigorous standards and competitive environment.Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Furthermore, selling a business is extremely demanding work, so having appropriate incentives in place for the key executives of the business to be divested is imperative.Raj Sharma, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
-
For the first time in our nearly 50-year history, a Black actress won our lead performance category — for an exceptionally demanding turn that only someone of Jean-Baptiste’s caliber could pull off.Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
-
Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
The Chiefs also have rookie Xavier Worthy, but the team needs another receiver on par with Hopkins to ensure the offense stays formidable.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
-
By her 30th birthday, Giovanni was regularly publishing poems that tapped into the transformative power of focusing inward as a community—and working through what that meant in practice alongside formidable intellectuals such as James Baldwin.Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
At Boston’s Logan airport, inbound flights on average were delayed by more than two hours, and two dozens flights were canceled, according to FlightAware. Steamship Authority ferries to and from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard were canceled as well, the service said, citing heavy winds.NBC Boston, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Health Challenges: Almost 40 percent of hospitals and health facilities in Syria are partly or completely non-functional, disrupting essential services or halting them altogether; displacement due to conflict or other crises exacts a heavy toll on children’s mental health.Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near backbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Backbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backbreaking. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share