as in ordeals
a test of faith, patience, or strength
soldiers who had withstood the crucible of war
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Recent Examples of crucibles
At the time, there was a chance of that being Neuer’s final appearance in one of sport’s great crucibles, and players of his calibre deserve better endings.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Crises’ crucibles often forge potent alliances.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
At its best, Extra Geography is a wistful look at the crucibles of young adulthood, at two people forming and re-forming into shapes that may no longer be compatible with one another.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Crises’ crucibles often forge potent alliances.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
At its best, Extra Geography is a wistful look at the crucibles of young adulthood, at two people forming and re-forming into shapes that may no longer be compatible with one another.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crucibles
Noun
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But the responsibility to inform should not fall on the shoulders of the women who’ve survived these ordeals.—
Tina Sturdevant,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
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Others have also turned their personal ordeals into stories of inspiration.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Much of Pratt’s campaign has focused on the devastating fires in the Palisades last year and has attacked the response of Mayor Karen Bass.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Pratt responded to the criticism on social media, blaming incumbent mayoral candidate Karen Bass for the destruction caused by the fires.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Post-punk bands face few gauntlets as arduous as the slow song, and Landowner challenge themselves to traverse three of them.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
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Those odds proved to be correct, as One Battle and Sinners added the final jewels to their respective gauntlets en route to this Sunday’s Academy Awards.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Activist groups have long accused Iran of carrying out closed-door trials during which defendants are unable to fully defend themselves.—
Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports,
Arkansas Online,
12 May 2026
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The mRNA vaccine technology has since advanced, and is now being tested more broadly on patients in other trials, Balachandran says.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crucibles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crucibles. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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