as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
she loves coming up with the "big idea" but hates the actual pick-and-shovel work of starting a new business
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Recent Examples of pick-and-shovel
Constellation Energy has surged 94% as a pick-and-shovel beneficiary of the AI boom.
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Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
So far with Big Tech spending at an all-time high—fueled by a fear of being left behind—the pick-and-shovel approach has been paying dividends.
—Peter Andersen, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
So far with Big Tech spending at an all-time high—fueled by a fear of being left behind—the pick-and-shovel approach has been paying dividends.
—Peter Andersen, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick-and-shovel
Adjective
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More snow was falling and with many roads already not cleared, driving was going to be that much more challenging.Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2025
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Looking ahead, crews face more challenging conditions on the fire line.Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Simplifying Complexity Through Narratives Leaders often need to communicate complex strategies or concepts, which can be difficult for teams to fully grasp.Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
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Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that's difficult to detect.MARK SHERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Resolutions often fail due to an all-or-nothing mindset full of tough self-criticism.Jane Hanson, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Rempe became a fan favorite in New York as a rookie last season, making a name for himself around the NHL by fighting the league's biggest and toughest stalwarts.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Kings hadn’t played since their double-overtime win over the Miami Heat on Monday, leaving three days between games, which likely would have meant at least one rigorous practice with Brown at the helm.Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 11 Jan. 2025
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Truth, in this sense, is sought and rendered, something produced by rigorous inquiry and informed consideration rather than something discovered.Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Two of the judges on the D.C. Circuit applied strict scrutiny, the highest and most demanding form of judicial review, and said the government satisfied that standard.Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
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Consumers are more demanding than ever, seeking true desirability, hyper-personalization, sustainability and seamless omnichannel experiences.Jill Standish, Forbes, 9 Jan. 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
Adjective
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Someone, anyone, needs to step up and take the reins here, as the Flyers have looked formidable otherwise.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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So the panel is top tier and should be a formidable alternative to the QD-OLED display used in Samsung’s respective 2025 flagship, the S95F. OLED TVs just keep getting brighter, more vivid, and dazzling — and consumers really can’t go wrong with any of them.Chris Welch, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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After unsuccessful and complicated head coaching stays at Derby County, United, Birmingham City and now Plymouth, pundits have begun speculating where Rooney could end up next.Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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Closing on a New Home: The final step of a real estate purchase can be the most complicated.Julie Lasky, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pick-and-shovel
Cite this Entry
“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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