| UPAGAINST | With it, it will be a difficult task (2,7) |
| TREK | Half take part, travelling west in what will be a difficult journey |
| TALLORDER | Essentially uniting everyone by command - it's a difficult task (4,5) |
| NIGHTMARE | Taming her turns out to be a difficult experience (9) |
| OSCILLATE | So point and call it - it will swing to and fro (9) |
| HAVEONESWORKCUTOUT | Be faced with a difficult task |
| TALL | A _ order: a difficult task assigned? |
| LONGHAUL | Line working to provoke laugh? It's a difficult task (4,4) |
| CHALLENGE | Space shuttle leaving base for difficult task (9) |
| STRETCHES | Difficult task - oddly easy - gets extended |
| HERCULEANEFFORT | What a difficult task may require |
| STAYTHECOURSE | Pursue a difficult task until the end (4,3,6) |
| ATALLORDER | A difficult task for this basketballing band of brothers? (1,4,5) |
| GRASPTHENETTLE | Tackle a difficult task (5,3,6) |
| STEELED | Prepared (oneself), as for a difficult task |
| HERDINGCATS | New chart design is a difficult task (7,4) |
| HOE | Hard row to ___ : a difficult task to confront? |
| RESPITE | Brief period of rest from a difficult task |
| STAY | ____ the course, phrase meaning 'to pursue a difficult task to the end' (4) |
| BANISH | "To ___ anger from one's breast is a difficult task": Mahatma Gandhi (6) |
