as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength
soldiers who had withstood the crucible of war
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Recent Examples of crucible
Dust icily exposes how character can evaporate in the crucible of greed, but the plodding pace makes this ethical exercise feel attenuated and flat by the time the climax rolls around.
—
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
The Berlinale has long been considered a forum for political expression and a crucible for debate about important world affairs, but avoiding political comment has seemingly been a trend at this year’s event, whether by chance, design or out of fear.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Founded in the 10th century, this complex of churches was a crucible of wisdom for calligraphers, philosophers and illuminators.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
There’s no crucible more scrutinized in the sport than the Olympic Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucible
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
The Berlinale has long been considered a forum for political expression and a crucible for debate about important world affairs, but avoiding political comment has seemingly been a trend at this year’s event, whether by chance, design or out of fear.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Founded in the 10th century, this complex of churches was a crucible of wisdom for calligraphers, philosophers and illuminators.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
There’s no crucible more scrutinized in the sport than the Olympic Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crucible
Noun
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Morning anchors like Katie Couric and Robin Roberts who have dealt with personal challenges — the death of a spouse or a medical ordeal — returned to illuminate issues tied to their tests.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
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Weeks would pass, and, strangely, despite his ordeal, Schiller did not report it to police.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both people who live in Kansas City and people who work in Kansas City currently pay 1% of their income into the city’s general fund, which funds 45% of the city’s general budget and pays for services like trash collection, fire services and affordable housing programs.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Yearning to light some tech on fire is a relatable feeling these days, as generative artificial intelligence promises to supplant nearly every form of non-physical labor, social media wreaks havoc on the mental health of young people, and massive data centers loom as environmental blights.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But a northern climate, stringent building codes, and the gauntlet of public review shouldn’t exclude the immense trove of experienced professionals who have worked in big, dense cities that are more similar to than different from ours.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
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Yes, UConn was undefeated, but did the Huskies really have a better season than UCLA considering the gantlet the Bruins had to face?—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the usual course of things, a promising drug candidate would be ushered into human trials.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As it’s applied today, the law allows trial attorneys to prey on the state’s small and mid-sized businesses — filing frivolous, costly lawsuits over even the most minor violation of California’s complex labor code.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crucible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crucible. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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