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
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Recent Examples of grueling
In what likely will be a preview of what’s to come for the Dodgers (32-20) over a grueling portion of their schedule in the next month, the team’s fate Saturday was almost entirely reliant upon the performance of their starter.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Sunday’s race marks the longest — and arguably most grueling — race on the schedule.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2025
Speaking candidly, the Hollywood star, Hip-Hop icon, and beauty ambassador recalled the emotional weight of that mirror scene: sitting fully nude, looking at her reflection after a grueling day in the life of the legendary jazz singer.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 May 2025
The drivers will travel 600 miles, completing 400 laps in what could be considered one of the most grueling races of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Sunday’s race marks the longest — and arguably most grueling — race on the schedule.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2025
Speaking candidly, the Hollywood star, Hip-Hop icon, and beauty ambassador recalled the emotional weight of that mirror scene: sitting fully nude, looking at her reflection after a grueling day in the life of the legendary jazz singer.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 May 2025
The drivers will travel 600 miles, completing 400 laps in what could be considered one of the most grueling races of the year.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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However, this challenging situation also presents an opportunity for businesses.—
Kendra Davenport,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, ensuring data accuracy and integrity within compliance features, especially for reporting and audit trails, can be technically demanding and prone to errors if not carefully managed.—
Suresh Kannan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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That, plus more demanding processors, higher burst rates, and video modes, means mirrorless cameras get less battery life than DSLRs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Transsexuals are people who have gone through a long, arduous process of: counseling, hormone therapy, and operations.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
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So no one has ever made a fully reusable orbital vehicle, and even the parts that have been reusable have been extremely arduous to reuse, such that the economics actually were worse than an expendable rocket in a lot of cases.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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That’s really tough to stop from turning into scoring opportunities for the opponent.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Dapple Baby takes this task very seriously, offering a fragrance-free formula that’s tough on stains yet gentle on newborn skin.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
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Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The backrest reclines to five different angles, and, set all the way back, the chaise can accommodate the full body of someone who’s up to six feet, four inches tall.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
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Keep a distance from tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 May 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 3 Jun. 2025.
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