challenge 1 of 2

noun

Definition of challengenext
1
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent there were no serious challenges to the legislative bill, so it passed easily

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in problem
something that requires thought and skill for resolution the many challenges facing developing countries in the 21st century

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

challenge

2 of 2

verb

ˈcha-lənj How to pronounce challenge (audio)
1
as in to question
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
as in to dare
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat I challenge you to swim to the other side of the pond

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3
as in to require
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 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 challenge
Noun
The women face these challenges amid shifting winds of optimism and despair. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Canales wasn’t quick enough to throw his challenge flag, and the Eagles were smart enough to get the next play off in time. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
With Congress on recess until after election day, lawmakers have few immediate options to challenge the move. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 This study challenges conventional understanding in neuroscience. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for challenge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenge
  1. objection
  2. problem
  3. question
  4. dare
  5. need
  6. exception
  7. matter
  8. contest
Noun
  • However, he was removed from the 2022 ballot after an Illinois election board upheld an objection to his campaign.
    — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The council said its objection is in response to Bocelli’s past support for Israel, including his participation in a 2010 fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Israel Defense Forces and a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv.
    — Niniek Karmini, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of objection
Noun
  • The problem is two of the guys have started dating between last year and this year.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In an Austin school district where buses are equipped with cameras, Waymos were recorded illegally passing them more than twenty times in the past school year—a problem that persisted even after the company tried to fix it.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of problem
Verb
  • There is little public clarity around the individual voters whose registration is being contested or how the administration began to question their eligibility.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But Laura Zimmermann, Common Sense Media’s director of youth AI research, questioned the value of OpenAI’s statistics.
    — Marc Levy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of question
Verb
  • At one point, Tillis dares Douthat to jump across the tracks of Congress’s private subway system.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • How could anyone dare try to top Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation, penned by—and starring, alongside Kate Winslet— Emma Thompson?
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dare
Verb
  • Each assembly keeps its own filament loaded, ready for the next time it's needed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Four turboprop engines power the aircraft, giving it the performance needed for demanding military transport operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of need
Noun
  • Where Brown has a point is that teams are using the full mid-level exception (MLE) less frequently under the current CBA.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The measure extends those protections to public ways within 1,000 feet of court facilities, while preserving an exception for arrests made under a valid judicial warrant.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of exception
Noun
  • The choice of materials, their adhesion and the design of the part all matter.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • When the plant roots encounter an area acidified by decaying plant matter—a chemical gradient distinct from that of animal matter—ABA builds up on the side facing the rot, encouraging growth in the other direction.
    — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of matter
Verb
  • Boyles responded that the groups were contesting the decisions based on the law, and not asking the panel to substitute its own views about wolves for those of the federal government.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The analysis was conducted in states where the statewide midterm primary with the most votes was contested by more than one candidate for both parties in 2026 going back to 2006.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of contest

Browse Nearby Words

chalky
challenge
challenged
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Cite this Entry

“Challenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenge. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on challenge

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about challenge

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