as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
modern machinery has significantly eased the backbreaking work of farming
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backbreaking
The Kings were leading 80-60 at the time and led by as many as 26 in the game, dealing the Blazers’ playoff chase a backbreaking blow.
—
oregonlive, 8 Mar. 2020
Drawing on unprecedented research, Chang shows how these men performed some of the most dangerous, most backbreaking work to build out the railroad from California, yet received virtually no credit for their contributions.
—Chris Fuchs, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2019
Plus, large shovels hold a backbreaking amount of snow.
—James Jackson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Sep. 2019
Spraying fields with pesticides and fertilizers, the drones -- which can cover up to 60 acres a day -- could boost crop yields, save time and make backbreaking field work much easier, according to Bug Away.
—Sarah Lazarus and Dan Tham, CNN, 3 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for backbreaking
oregonlive, 8 Mar. 2020
Drawing on unprecedented research, Chang shows how these men performed some of the most dangerous, most backbreaking work to build out the railroad from California, yet received virtually no credit for their contributions.
—Chris Fuchs, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2019
Plus, large shovels hold a backbreaking amount of snow.
—James Jackson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Sep. 2019
Spraying fields with pesticides and fertilizers, the drones -- which can cover up to 60 acres a day -- could boost crop yields, save time and make backbreaking field work much easier, according to Bug Away.
—Sarah Lazarus and Dan Tham, CNN, 3 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for backbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backbreaking
Adjective
-
Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If some species can continue reproducing even under challenging conditions, that resilience could buy ecosystems valuable time.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Much of Shrinking revolves around people going through challenging times and healing through finding love, such as Paul (Harrison Ford) beginning a relationship with his doctor.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Going through a severe injury is probably the toughest thing an athlete can go through.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
More companies are dialing back flexible work schedules and mandating that employees return to the office part-time or full-time, forcing women into tough situations.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Dozens of asylum seekers like her, as well as refugees who passed a rigorous, years-long vetting process before being admitted to the United States, have been arrested in Minnesota in recent weeks, immigration lawyers and advocates say.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Every small business article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of business products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Brooks sat for roughly 10 hours of interviews over five sessions — a demanding schedule for a 99-year-old subject, but one Apatow approached with care.—
Stephen Silver,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The incident, blown out of proportion in his opinion, was, on the contrary, an example of how demanding the crowd can be at Juventus.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Bigger deals are harder to come by because of the current regulatory environment, Konanahalli said.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But Isbell runs the race on a stark and formidable solo album and a batting average of six wins for eight nods (prior to this year’s three more).—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The panel picks up on the baseball-heavy clues, and guesses accordingly.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
-
While success has become familiar, his most recent championship in Texas carried a heavier meaning.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backbreaking. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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