as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
she loves coming up with the "big idea" but hates the actual pick-and-shovel work of starting a new business
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Recent Examples of pick-and-shovel
Constellation Energy has surged 94% as a pick-and-shovel beneficiary of the AI boom.
—
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
So far with Big Tech spending at an all-time high—fueled by a fear of being left behind—the pick-and-shovel approach has been paying dividends.
—Peter Andersen, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
The biggest beneficiaries here aren’t only the flashy tech giants but also the pick-and-shovel players: processor makers, cooling system vendors, and the unsung heroes of database architecture etc.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
So far with Big Tech spending at an all-time high—fueled by a fear of being left behind—the pick-and-shovel approach has been paying dividends.
—Peter Andersen, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
The core operation and a smattering of pick-and-shovel prospects mined the surface gold that was easily extracted by hand from exposed late Cretaceous-period rocks that shed bits of precious minerals in flakes, nuggets and dust.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pick-and-shovel
Adjective
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But Kirby and Danielle said the past year has been incredibly challenging.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
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His back nine was particularly challenging as the weather conditions deteriorated, resulting in one bogey and no birdies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nevertheless, the offer could make OpenAI’s reorganization plans more difficult – and significantly more expensive.—
David Goldman,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
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The only thing that could make persuading a group of pandemic skeptics to care about an infectious-disease outbreak more difficult is your boss—the president of the United States—undercutting your raison d’être.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Both are now promising to stand up to Trump and make tough decisions to make Canada more resilient.—
Stephen Maher,
TIME,
15 Feb. 2025
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His positioning and angles are second to none, making tough saves look easy on a nightly basis in the NHL.—
Jesse Granger,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Using rigorous logical frameworks and Turing-computable methods, BigGraph ensures trustworthy, adaptable outcomes that align with business needs.—
Jason Phillips,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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As more states legalize cannabis for medical use, there is a growing demand for rigorous scientific studies to validate its efficacy and safety.—
Tribune Content Agency,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Bridge benefit for older workers: Another key proposal is the creation of a bridge benefit for older workers with a history of physically demanding work.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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In July 2023, Kidman told PEOPLE that production for Lioness is a demanding but gratifying process.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Driving the news: Berger has successfully staved off challengers for more than two decades, but Page could prove to be a formidable primary opponent should the two face off next year.—
Lucille Sherman,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
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In any case, Spanberger could be a formidable opponent.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Their final conflict goes down on Silver’s yacht in the middle of the open water, as Silver ridicules Kreese for his complicated relationship with Johnny.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
15 Feb. 2025
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Construed as a pedagogical exercise more than entertainment, the film offers a deep reading into the complicated plurality of the populace that constitutes nations such as Germany.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pick-and-shovel
Cite this Entry
“Pick-and-shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pick-and-shovel. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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