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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of challenging
ArsTechnica, 10 June 2026
That’s a little challenging right now, to put it mildly.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 June 2026
The fire scene was challenging in part because of a limited water supply, as there were no nearby fire hydrants.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for challenging
Adjective
The animation above shows how DiffusionGemma was tuned to solve Sudoku puzzles, which is a notoriously challenging task for standard autoregressive AI models because each token depends on future tokens.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2026
That’s a little challenging right now, to put it mildly.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Verb
In April, five pay-TV and streaming services subscribers filed a lawsuit challenging the merger, claiming, among other things, that the acquisition would increase prices and diminish the diversity of viewpoints.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 June 2026
The fire scene was challenging in part because of a limited water supply, as there were no nearby fire hydrants.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for challenging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenging
Adjective
-
JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
But the strength of his acidic, strong, difficult performance was too powerful for the Tonys to deny.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Autonomy can absorb repetitive, lower-value, or cognitively demanding tasks so crews can focus on judgment, decision-making, and mission execution – the things humans still do best.—
Tim Burns,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
-
The fuchsia tone is, of course, the most attention-demanding, and black is always a safe bet—especially for more formal events.—
Alexandra Malmed,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Under prosecutors’ questioning, the witness agreed that his previous belief that Anthony was surrounded when the stabbing happened was incorrect.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
-
After questioning witnesses, detectives determined Williams had gotten into a domestic dispute with another person who was with Taylor, and Williams pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and fired multiple shots, shooting Taylor in the back.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The Skims founder opted for a daring sheer black lace corset tank top paired with light-wash jeans with horsebit buckle details on the hips for the outing.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
-
Nonetheless, Madonna pulled off the daring move while serenading a growing dance party below, eventually pulling her leg back over the barrier and moving to the center of the stage to finish out the song.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
To become a licensed drone pilot within the department, officers must apply, interview, and pass an FAA exam — requiring knowledge of nautical and weather chart reading.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
California and other states enacted similar laws in 2023 requiring heavy metal testing and disclosure for baby food, but, at that time, formula was not included.—
Rachel Fobar,
Daily News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
More recent air quality news Major automakers are urging the EPA to delay tougher vehicle pollution standards for two years.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
In a tough economy for local breweries, Clairvoyant has found a way to keep its heart beating.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The need to find a new venue stemmed from Fox contesting Amazon’s right to stream a game that’s played in New York and involves a Big 10 team, because Fox’s contract with the Big 10 gives it broadcast rights to such games.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Koltun filed a request with a federal judge in Texas contesting the demand.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Both of those teams won championships, the Bulls needing six games to oust the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets going home after winning those first two games in Orlando and sweeping the Magic.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Others watch their kids go from needing a pair of shin guards to hauling around an entire bag of equipment just to play soccer.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Challenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenging. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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