belabors

verb

present tense third-person singular of belabor
1
as in emphasizes
to speak or write about insistently and usually tiresomely stop belaboring the fact that they're already in debt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly there's no need to belabor other people's flaws when you're hardly perfect yourself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in licks
to strike repeatedly with a whip he belabored a horse almost to the point of death

Synonyms & Similar 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 belabors There are a few lumpy patches, moments when the revision over-explains itself or belabors a point. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belabors
  1. emphasizes
  2. attacks
  3. licks
  4. stresses
  5. slams
  6. hides
  7. scolds
  8. pounds
Verb
  • The spa emphasizes the holistic benefits of bodywork, with treatments that range from a traditional Thai massage to organic seaweed leaf wraps to the Mindful Dreams Ritual.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The column emphasizes that these are forecasts, not certainties.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasizes
Verb
  • The degenerative disease attacks the motor neurons of the brain and spinal cords.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The advertisement, which was released last week, attacks Vang over her attendance record at the meetings of local government bodies including the Sacramento Regional Transit District and Sacramento Transportation Authority.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • Rebbapragada stresses the company’s deep mission, is to connect fans and creators.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Iffy Lighting The way your porch is lit majorly matters, and with that, just say no to blue LED lighting, Hodge stresses.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stresses
Verb
  • There are currently more than 85,000 customers without power across the Northeast, including New York City and Connecticut, as an intensifying early-season nor’easter slams the region with strong wind, soaking rain and coastal flooding.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Not thunder, not cobwebs, not a door that slams itself for union reasons.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of slams
Verb
  • That gap is where debt hides until something goes wrong across agents and everyone can say their piece worked as designed.
    — Venkatesh Sankaran, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The league usually hides these blunders behind closed doors and quiet internal grading-system tweaks.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scolds
Verb
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounds

Browse Nearby Words

belaboring
belabors
belated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Belabors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belabors. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

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

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All