challenged

verb

Definition of challengednext
past tense of challenge
1
as in questioned
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 dared
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 required
to have as a requirement having to put up with an overbearing boss challenges forbearance

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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 challenged The Arkansas ban is being held up in court after CVS challenged the constitutionality of the law. — Blake Farmer, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026 The legality of these warrants are being challenged by Mountbatten-Windsor’s lawyers via judicial review, The Telegraph reported. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 The Chiefs challenged punter Matt Araiza to improve his ball placement in the offseason; he's long been known for his booming leg, but the Chiefs wanted to see more punts inside the 20. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 The Padres unsuccessfully challenged that France’s drive was a foul ball. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Still, a federal wealth tax would immediately be challenged in the courts. — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 The department has under 300 firefighters and Bolen said the department’s staffing needs have been challenged to meet that growth. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026 He was currently involved in a feud with Andrade El Idolo and challenged him for the national championship Saturday in Chicago, with El Idolo winning to retain the title. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Petruzzi also challenged allegations that Handal supplied weapons and equipment. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenged
  1. questioned
  2. dared
  3. required
  4. contested
  5. needed
  6. disputed
  7. wanted
  8. took
Verb
  • Undecided voters questioned the candidates about affordability, health care, data centers and privacy.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The teeth of that regulation, however, has often been questioned—when not being openly mocked.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of questioned
Verb
  • To get her father and his siblings to offer answers to questions no one had ever dared ask in the past until Duong’s cameras rolled, an inventive hybrid documentary-narrative model was hatched for the film.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In Cuba, for instance, the single format is dominant, and very few artists have dared to create a true concept album.
    — Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of dared
Verb
  • Being bumped to a relief role required some selflessness from Seymour and Jax — both of whom began the season in the bullpen and were transitioned to the rotation.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Mercury in your 10th House quincunxes Saturn in your 3rd, creating friction between your public goals and the details, conversations, or information required to support them.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of required
Verb
  • Chief Justice John Roberts gave the Federal Communications Commission a temporary win on Thursday in its legal battle over who is entitled to favorable advertising rates in the closing weeks of the costly and hotly contested midterm elections.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • All 21 board seats are up for grabs, and though most members are running to keep their seats, the races are expected to be hotly contested.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of contested
Verb
  • Sure, the Raiders only needed to travel 50 yards after stopping the Chiefs on fourth down at midfield.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Better crystals reveal the signal The researchers first needed cleaner UTe₂ crystals because PDWs are extremely delicate and impurities can obscure their signatures.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of needed
Verb
  • The agency has previously disputed suggestions that politics plays a role in its decisions.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Initial media reports suggested a lab worker at Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute died of the plague, but Russian officials later disputed this, saying the worker died of pneumonia and that the illness was not linked to work in the lab.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of disputed
Verb
  • Wen wanted to follow an ordinary cook through a conflict, and the restaurant came with the job.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For watches, jewelry, handbags, and sneakers, 20% or fewer Gen Z collectors wanted recognition even within specialist collector communities.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of wanted
Verb
  • The casing is consistent with the same caliber of weapon that Jones had in his possession when police took him into custody, a Fort Worth Police Department homicide unit detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This latest group of founders stands on the shoulders of giants from the noughties like Spotify, Klarna, and Skype, who themselves took inspiration from the postwar design empires of IKEA, H&M and Tetra Pak (modernizer of the milk carton).
    — Jan Larsson, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of took

Browse Nearby Words

challenge
challenged
challenger
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Cite this Entry

“Challenged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenged. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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