as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
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Recent Examples of elbow grease
For spring cleaning gadgets, try this Roomba robot vacuum to make messes disappear without any elbow grease, as well as the Swiffer PowerMop to make floors really sparkle.
—
Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Using a good-quality leather cleaner and a little elbow grease is the simplest way to keep your leather goods in premium condition.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Clara McMahon, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Using a good-quality leather cleaner and a little elbow grease is the simplest way to keep your leather goods in premium condition.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
Pump or manual sprayers require the most elbow grease but are also the cheapest.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elbow grease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow grease
Noun
-
Trump has argued otherwise saying in his order that rather than fostering unity, ''the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame, disregarding the progress America has made.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear arguments in a high-profile dispute over efforts in Oklahoma to create an online Catholic charter school, a case that could open the door to public dollars flowing directly to religious schools.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After his ordination, Prevost went to work as a missionary Peru.—
May 8,
CBS News,
9 May 2025
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His pastoral work and multicultural background resonated with Pope Francis, who brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow%20grease. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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