belabor the point

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "belabor the point" is correct and usable in written English
You can use it when you want to emphasize the fact that someone's talking about something that has already been discussed at length or has been made very clear. For example, "Please don't belabor the point again - I understand what you're saying."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

He didn't belabor the point.

The New Yorker

Savvy directors don't belabor the point.

The New York Times - Arts

They belabor the point, drawing diagrams on a whiteboard.

The New Yorker

Obama didn't belabor the point; he didn't need to.

The New Yorker

Not to belabor the point, let's drop the old man's perspective for now.

The New Yorker

Not to belabor the point, but investors in hedge funds paid through the nose for this underperformance.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

By this stage, Obama was perhaps belaboring the point.

The New Yorker

The Die Hard sequels have belabored the point, as sequels do, but they don't really undermine the first film.

The Guardian - Film

Without belaboring the point, he said, "Don't think he would fit in with the mission of our university".

The New York Times - Sports

Among other things, the flashbacks suggest, without belaboring the point, the homoerotic undertone to their relationship, something that years later the Army doctor seems determined to reveal.

The New York Times

"I think Bernanke is well aware of that, so he probably feels that there is little use in belaboring the point".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

The phrase is most effective in the negative, such as "not to 'belabor the point'" or "without 'belaboring the point'", to signal a swift transition to a new topic.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase to mean 'to physically attack' or 'to harangue a person' in modern contexts. While the word 'belabor' can mean to hit someone, in the specific idiom "belabor the point", the object is always an abstract argument or explanation.

Linguistic Context

Grammatically, "belabor the point" functions as a transitive verb phrase. Ludwig AI identifies it as a standard idiomatic construction where the verb 'belabor' takes 'the point' as its direct object. It is frequently employed in participial forms or within infinitive phrases to serve as a conversational modifier.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "belabor the point" is a highly effective linguistic tool for writers who wish to maintain brevity and authority. As demonstrated by the extensive examples in Ludwig, it is most often used as a self-aware transition, allowing the speaker to avoid the pitfalls of redundancy. With a high frequency in prestige publications and academic institutions, it remains a staple of professional English. Whether you choose the American spelling or the British "<a href="/s/labor+the+point" target="_blank" rel="alternative">labor the point", using this phrase correctly signals to your audience that you value their time and understand the weight of your own arguments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

labor the point

Common British English variation that is almost entirely interchangeable.

dwell on the subject

Less idiomatic and focuses more on the duration spent on a topic rather than the redundancy of the argument.

beat a dead horse

A more informal idiom emphasizing the futility of continuing an argument that has already been settled.

hammer the point home

Focuses on the effort to ensure understanding, often with a more aggressive or emphatic tone.

overstate the case

Specifically refers to exaggerating the importance or facts of an argument.

reiterate excessively

A more clinical and literal description of repeating information too many times.

over-elaborate

Focuses on adding too much detail rather than simply repeating an argument.

harp on about it

Significantly more informal and carries a connotation of being annoying or nagging.

expound at length

Neutral phrasing that describes talking extensively without necessarily implying redundancy.

go on and on

A very common informal expression for talking for an excessive amount of time.

FAQs

How to use "belabor the point" in a sentence?

You can use it to admit you are repeating yourself, for example: "I don't want to "belabor the point", but we must finish this project by Friday."

What can I say instead of "belabor the point"?

You can use alternatives like "<a href="/s/labor+the+point" target="_blank" rel="alternative">labor the point", "<a href="/s/dwell+on" target="_blank" rel="alternative">dwell on" or "<a href="/s/reiterate" target="_blank" rel="alternative">reiterate" depending on how formal you want to be.

Is it "belabor the point" or "labor the point"?

Both are correct. "belabor the point" is more common in American English, while "<a href="/s/labor+the+point" target="_blank" rel="alternative">labor the point" is frequently used in British English.

What is the difference between "belabor the point" and "beat a dead horse"?

"belabor the point" is neutral and often used in professional writing, whereas "<a href="/s/beat+a+dead+horse" target="_blank" rel="alternative">beat a dead horse" is an informal idiom used to suggest that further effort is a complete waste of time.