variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of grueling
But the fun captured on camera, on record, and onstage was often different from the grueling reality of life in a major band.
—
Federico Fahsbender, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
The total time for the mission was 13 hours—a grueling day of long hikes, technical climbing, and route-finding in the backcountry.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 5 Feb. 2025
Monk finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Kings, who needed a win in the worst way to end a grueling six-game road trip.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025
No matter their talent level, teams who play against Ronnie McGee’s Red Devils can expect to work for every inch during 32 grueling minutes.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Federico Fahsbender, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
The total time for the mission was 13 hours—a grueling day of long hikes, technical climbing, and route-finding in the backcountry.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 5 Feb. 2025
Monk finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Kings, who needed a win in the worst way to end a grueling six-game road trip.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025
No matter their talent level, teams who play against Ronnie McGee’s Red Devils can expect to work for every inch during 32 grueling minutes.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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Stars of Durant’s stature can be notoriously difficult to pin down for interviews.—
Darnell Mayberry,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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But breaking with Russian gas has been difficult for Austria, which until recently was one of a handful of European countries to keep importing the fuel by pipeline.—
Stanley Reed,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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His back nine was particularly challenging as the weather conditions deteriorated, resulting in one bogey and no birdies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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But Kirby and Danielle said the past year has been incredibly challenging.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Bridge benefit for older workers: Another key proposal is the creation of a bridge benefit for older workers with a history of physically demanding work.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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In July 2023, Kidman told PEOPLE that production for Lioness is a demanding but gratifying process.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Take account planning, one of the most arduous tasks in enterprise sales, yet one that is highly correlated to sales success.—
Anand Shah,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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Cramer noted that shares climbed at the end of last year when Disney boasted growth and an optimistic outlook, months after the end of a long and arduous proxy battle.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Still, the Steelers have some tough decisions to make for their roster, and the team has already made a big one by letting Smith go.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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Hot team Playing arguably the toughest schedule in the county, St. Augustine’s boys basketball team started the season 3-12.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Using rigorous logical frameworks and Turing-computable methods, BigGraph ensures trustworthy, adaptable outcomes that align with business needs.—
Jason Phillips,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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As more states legalize cannabis for medical use, there is a growing demand for rigorous scientific studies to validate its efficacy and safety.—
Tribune Content Agency,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The final center tower devoted to Jesus will be the tallest and the last to be completed, hopefully in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death in 2026.—
Rebecca Deurlein,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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The kitchen is behind the living room, with tall windows and a suite of new Bosch appliances, including a wall oven.—
Angela Serratore,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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