spadework

noun

Definition of spadeworknext
as in effort

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spadework These aren’t fads or fancy frameworks, but rather daily spadework that cultivates a culture of collaborative excellence. — Doug Sundheim, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 But the loss at the Mercedes plants will almost surely slow down the union’s campaign and probably force it to do more spadework to secure the support of workers before seeking to hold elections at other auto plants. — Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 May 2024 In this peacemaking effort, the United States would have to do almost all the spadework. — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 Early spadework for the new batch of projects also dates back to the City of Cleveland’s 2004 Waterfront District Plan. — Steven Litt, cleveland, 26 Feb. 2022 See All Example Sentences for spadework
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spadework
  1. effort
  2. toil
  3. drudgery
  4. fatigue
  5. travail
  6. slavery
Noun
  • Its architecture could contribute to future efforts involving inexpensive rockets produced in much larger quantities.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • The poem is about how our most worthwhile pursuits—things like art, love, and beauty—often seem to demand a measure of toil.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
  • With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of toil
Noun
  • Fuller’s ideas are hard to summarize, but always seem to reach toward a utopian vision of escaping the drudgery of everyday life.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Aesthetic experiences were here not reserved for museums or the elite, but folded in along with daily drudgeries.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of drudgery
Noun
  • The platform will be monitored over time to assess how the bamboo composite performs against fatigue, environmental exposure and other stresses encountered offshore.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Immediate consequences can develop quickly Heat strain may begin with fatigue, headache, dizziness, weakness or nausea and progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
    — Julian L. Gallegos, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fatigue
Noun
  • Given the travails of Bessent, its contents will make interesting reading.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • My beloved barn jacket dates back to 19th-century France—referred to as a chore coat or bleu de travail—where it was worn among farmers and laborers who relied on its tough, moleskin fabric to get them through fieldwork.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of travail
Noun
  • Public monuments condemning slavery have been removed, and Confederate names have been restored to Army bases.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Brought to the region to address economic and environmental woes shaped by the ghost of plantation slavery, kudzu was later abandoned as shifting needs rendered the plant unnecessary.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of slavery

Browse Nearby Words

spades
spadework
spadeworks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spadework.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spadework. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All