elbow grease
noun
: hard work
There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.—
Andy Shafran
Andy Shafran
especially
: vigorously applied physical labor or effort
Best of all, the metal handle is bendable, making it easy to defat liquids of varying depths. Kudos to a kitchen tool that spares elbow grease. —Grace Young
Grace Young Synonyms
Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence
It's going to take some elbow grease to get this counter clean.
with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again
Recent Examples on the Web
If the league won’t do it, somebody in burgundy and blue needs to apply a little elbow grease.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 10 May 2024
Stain removal was a snap with this cleaner, including challenging ones like tomato paste—and even that only required a little extra elbow grease.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2024
The doors tend to stick, requiring a certain amount of elbow grease in order to get in or out.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2024
In addition, this recipe uses a blender to blend the crepe batter together, so there’s little cleanup involved and even less elbow grease.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
This usually involves some combination of vinegar, soap, a soft brush, and some elbow grease.
—Amari Pollard, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2024
Best Cleaning Paste: Scrub Daddy Tangerine Clean Day-old ketchup, wine, and peanut butter came off hard surfaces with this cleaning paste and just a little elbow grease.
—Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2024
But if the discoloration bothers you, a little elbow grease and some Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend will help restore your sheet pans to their patina-free glory.
—Olga Massov, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
That means that, at least for now, effective measurement will take a bit of elbow grease.
—Lora Kratchounova, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 10 May 2024
Stain removal was a snap with this cleaner, including challenging ones like tomato paste—and even that only required a little extra elbow grease.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2024
The doors tend to stick, requiring a certain amount of elbow grease in order to get in or out.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2024
In addition, this recipe uses a blender to blend the crepe batter together, so there’s little cleanup involved and even less elbow grease.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
This usually involves some combination of vinegar, soap, a soft brush, and some elbow grease.
—Amari Pollard, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2024
Best Cleaning Paste: Scrub Daddy Tangerine Clean Day-old ketchup, wine, and peanut butter came off hard surfaces with this cleaning paste and just a little elbow grease.
—Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2024
But if the discoloration bothers you, a little elbow grease and some Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend will help restore your sheet pans to their patina-free glory.
—Olga Massov, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
That means that, at least for now, effective measurement will take a bit of elbow grease.
—Lora Kratchounova, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elbow grease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near elbow grease
Cite this Entry
“Elbow grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elbow%20grease. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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