crucible

noun

ˈkrü-sə-bəl How to pronounce crucible (audio)
Definition of cruciblenext
as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength soldiers who had withstood the crucible of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crucible After all, these were crucibles meant to test a driver’s car, courage, and constitution—full stop. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 But the defining common denominator in all this took was in the crucible of the fourth quarter. — Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026 But Ellison is betting that through the crucible of consolidation, a stronger company will emerge. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026 However tomorrow’s return means a great deal both to London Fashion Week—which is perennially dedicated to cheerleading the British capital as a key crucible of creativity—as well as to McQueen and McGirr. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crucible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crucible
  1. ordeal
  2. fire
  3. gauntlet
  4. trial
Noun
  • During the ordeal, Del Mar started a group called Fathers Helping Fathers, which advocated for unwed or divorced fathers seeking legal advice on custody.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The strikes in Riyadh have killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds — some of the survivors were allowed to speak about their ordeal to Saudi state TV over the weekend.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • Ukraine's General Staff that day said its forces hit an electronics plant in Oryol that makes components for the cruise and ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But the drought that set the stage for the fires has dried up Baltzor's hay meadows, too.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • For the most advanced chips, this gantlet is then repeated about a hundred times on a loop, as if an entire city skyline were being raised one story at a time.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Las Vegas Raiders have had just about every chance to build on their surprising 3-0 start even while facing a gauntlet of Super Bowl contenders the past three weeks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of gauntlet
Noun
  • Assistant District Attorney Jason Judd asserted at a pretrial conference that the expert would be material, or critical, at trial and that representatives of the state had met in person with the expert.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Combining real-world robot experience with simulation also provides additional opportunities to practice tasks without relying entirely on physical trials.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of trial

Browse Nearby Words

crucial
crucible
crucibles
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Cite this Entry

“Crucible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crucible. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crucible

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crucible

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