as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
hard-bitten folk who survived many rigors on the way to the promised land
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Recent Examples of rigors
Letting that loss linger and turn into back-to-back losses would have been a bad sign about Buffalo’s ability to handle the rigors of what is going to be a white-knuckle playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
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Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The academic rigors of the Ivy League and basketball became a high-wire juggling act requiring time management and moral support.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Salomon Elixir Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes These aren’t the lightest, quickest, or sexiest hiking shoes out there—in fact, the Salomon Elixirs are designed for the heavy-duty rigors of thru-hiking.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 25 Dec. 2025
The rigors of touring and internal conflicts took a toll on the band and the group split in 1999.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
Ultimately, Paul feels the rigors of being an in-ring performer may have been too much for Scott to handle.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Unaware of her status as a princess, Huntley puts Victoria through the rigors of a Montana ranch experience.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Dec. 2025
With a story of secret cabals and a child born to rule, Dumont projects the nasty prejudices and bureaucratic rigors of local politics, the tangles of family allegiances, and the tender grunge of young lust into divine and diabolical clashes run from celestial and subterranean castles.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
The durable, waterproof and scratch-resistant case is equipped to stand up against the rigors of travel and is on sale for just $9 for Cyber Monday.
—Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigors
Noun
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Among community theaters forced to close due to financial hardships was the nearby Artisan Center Theater in Hurst.—
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Some successes, and many hardships.—
Noun
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Raising the city’s garbage fee was another structural solution that aldermen and the mayor opted to avoid because of similar political difficulties.—
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Obviously reading at random won’t solve all the issues with unequal advances, difficulties in sustaining a career, and lack of diversity in publishing.—
Cite this Entry
“Rigors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigors. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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