1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
an exceptionally challenging brainteaser
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demanding
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
a challenging test designed to whittle down the number of contestants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in questioning
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
don't hesitate to challenge any statement that generalizes about people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in requiring
to have as a requirement
having to put up with an overbearing boss challenges forbearance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of challenging
Alice Park, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
View gallery - 4 images Construction robots have been around for a while, automating challenging tasks on job sites.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
Her work has taken her to each of Kansas’ 105 counties, challenging her to help communities preserve their history and envision the revitalization of sleepy downtowns.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for challenging
Adjective
In an effort to lead by example, Koh was also more vocal about her own strategies for managing stress and navigating challenging tasks, which include using a Spring coach and therapists, as well as the company’s meditation and mindfulness apps.
—Alice Park, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
View gallery - 4 images Construction robots have been around for a while, automating challenging tasks on job sites.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
Combs’ lead defense lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, explicitly told jurors in his closing argument that the defense wasn’t challenging the women’s claims of domestic violence.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
Her work has taken her to each of Kansas’ 105 counties, challenging her to help communities preserve their history and envision the revitalization of sleepy downtowns.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for challenging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenging
Adjective
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Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have argued that travel to Moshannon is far more difficult for members of the defense team based in Nashville, and not easier for those in New York.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
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Senator Collins has proven in the past to be able to win in very difficult environments, 2008 being an example of that.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The week before was so demanding with Manchester United, Napoli, and especially Arsenal.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Leaf raking is more eco-friendly as well as more physically demanding and time-consuming.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s a montage of the very hot women questioning if Mel is even worth their time.—
Ali Barthwell,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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Now, legal experts from across the political spectrum, as well as current DOJ officials, are questioning why the Biden DOJ pursued the case in the first place.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fans praised Johnson’s daring outfit on social media.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Whether classic blue, daring black, or vintage light wash is calling your name, these finds all offer plenty of versatility, especially in the fall.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bahari Makmur Sejati, requiring the firm to demonstrate remediation before resuming shipments.—
Matt Cannon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act into law, requiring AI companies to disclose their safety practices while stopping short of mandating actual safety testing.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An editor approached me with a tough assignment of tasting, evaluating and reviewing a chicken Caesar wrap.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The news that Aleksander Barkov will all but assuredly miss all of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery on Friday to repair the ACL and MCL in right knee was tough for the Florida Panthers to hear.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another at the micro level is a lot of lopsided red and blue districts and very few purple ones, which means that precious few individual seats are likely to change hands, or even be worth contesting.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Diggs filed a response to the suit, contesting that the baby is his.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to The Information, OpenAI chief Sam Altman has floated eventually needing 250 gigawatts of electricity — equivalent to about a third of peak power consumption across the US.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Through the first four weeks of the season, the Seattle Seahawks have one of the league’s best defenses despite needing to play various defensive back combinations because of injuries in the secondary.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Challenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenging. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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