elbow grease

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It says that the government’s proper role is to clear a path so those who put in the elbow grease can earn success.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

In ‘99% Perspiration,’ data and stories illustrate the roots and consequences of a very American dilemma: the belief that old-fashioned elbow grease will get you anywhere you want to go.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2025

“It seems like magic, but of course there’s all this elbow grease that’s gone into the recognition.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 8, 2023

"Some elbow grease was required to do it," she says, but "most marks came off, and the results are nice on both stainless steel and cast iron pan bottoms."

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2022

International economists often describe South Korea as the single most impressive example of what free markets, democratic government, and elbow grease can do to transform a small agrarian backwater into a global powerhouse.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden