as in wrought
to devote serious and sustained effort
the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in manufactured
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labored
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 11 July 2025
But the film overstays its welcome, with an artificial quality evident in both the labored dialogue and the aggressively fake mid-century production design of the motel the trio eventually settles at.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 9 June 2025
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Campbell labored in Thursday’s joint practice against the Vikings, allowing two would-be sacks and a pressure to Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Jonathan Greenard during 11-on-11 drills.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labored
Verb
Other signs and symptoms include nausea, labored breathing and a general sense of weakness, as well as an odd taste in the mouth.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 11 July 2025
But the film overstays its welcome, with an artificial quality evident in both the labored dialogue and the aggressively fake mid-century production design of the motel the trio eventually settles at.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 9 June 2025
Adjective
Freeland labored at times, but also racked up five strikeouts.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Campbell labored in Thursday’s joint practice against the Vikings, allowing two would-be sacks and a pressure to Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Jonathan Greenard during 11-on-11 drills.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labored
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labored
Verb
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Most notably, the Chargers struggled to contain Mahomes in the pocket.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Fighter jets have long struggled to integrate AI into radar systems due to limited space, power, and processing capacity.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Though the former couple remained close in the years after their separation, their relationship allegedly became strained when Simon stopped paying for their children’s school and medical fees following a change on his tax return.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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In contrast to Bella’s strained relationship with Coverley, her bond with her father was effortless.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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There were quite a few troubling snaps to Young, and that’s a tough look for a pair that have worked together at their positions in each of the past two summer.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In luxury, these partnerships need to be much more subtle than contrived campaigns that crowbar the celebrity into every tweet and social post.—
Matteo Atti,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The framing device feels a bit contrived, but the scenes between Dano and Wright are good enough to keep us interested.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There is no semi-automatic offside system as in La Liga.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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The system has an automatic self-cleaning function and is designed for easy, tool-free filter replacement, with filters lasting from 12 to 24 months.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The other dozen arrived thanks to Anisimova’s six unforced errors and six forced errors.—
Howard Fendrich,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
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In the Broncos’ only regular-season loss, in September at No. 7 Oregon, Simpson had five tackles, 1.5 for loss, a solo sack and a forced fumble.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The film stars Oscar winner Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarploeug, an ex-pat American actor living in Tokyo.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
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The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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The money would provide for beginning mechanical removal of the algae mass in the most problematic areas and setting up test areas for the effectiveness of algicides, Miller said.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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And while ultrasound techniques can modulate the activity of neurons by delivering gentle mechanical pulses that influence how cells send signals, current systems have struggled to reach deeper areas of the brain with sufficient precision—until now.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labored. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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