1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
Among other reasons, with 30 more days to heal, rearm, and fill its coffers with tolls, Iran will be a more formidable adversary.
—
Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The return of Wheeler now gives the Phillies a formidable rotation of Sanchez, Wheeler, right-hander Andrew Painter, lefty Jesus Luzardo, and righty Aaron Nola.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Lace, Susie, Jinx, and Shyanne join Margo and Bodhi at the courthouse, and their circle, while small, is formidable compared to Mark’s.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The Golden Knights are a formidable opponent.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The return of Wheeler now gives the Phillies a formidable rotation of Sanchez, Wheeler, right-hander Andrew Painter, lefty Jesus Luzardo, and righty Aaron Nola.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Lace, Susie, Jinx, and Shyanne join Margo and Bodhi at the courthouse, and their circle, while small, is formidable compared to Mark’s.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The Golden Knights are a formidable opponent.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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For Orlo Vista residents, the disaster unfolded with terrifying speed.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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Nicholls opened Rockwater not long after Cyclone Pam, a terrifying storm that churned through Vanuatu and inflicted $600 million in damage.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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Nate was a compelling, complex antagonist for Euphoria’s first two seasons, but this season has seen the man brutalized by frightening criminals who make his mind games look like child’s play.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
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But that only made things slightly less frightening.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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During a particularly challenging episode with her mental health, Halverson said, his mother went to stay with her sister in Wisconsin.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Perhaps my teen years and college (particularly the latter) would have not been so challenging emotionally, academically and socially.—
Sahaj Kaur Kohli,
Washington Post,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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That’s precisely Dumont’s intention — freedom is fun and scary — but the choice is sure to raise eyebrows among critics of the director, who has historically been called out for his work with nonprofessional actors.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
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There’s no better time to swap scary stories than when the wind is howling and candles are flickering.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mayor and Governor are terrible.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
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From scandals, to corny tactics and platforms, to terrible analysis, this gubernatorial race has been a contest to forget.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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For decades, the legal profession has maintained strict boundaries around who can provide services in the form of licenses that require professionals to undergo significant schooling and rigorous testing.—
Robert Scott,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
John Csiszar,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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