1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of formidable
Graham herself comes in mostly through voiceover, her words read by another of today’s formidable performers, Meryl Streep.
—
Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
Colón will play Miguel, a dutiful cowboy who is quiet but formidable.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
The high-rise, which connects to Salesforce Park via a skybridge, only has a few floors left that are available for leasing — a formidable turnaround given that its entire office component was languishing on the sublease market less than three years ago.
—Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Mar. 2026
Josh Moore will be formidable competition for that starting job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
Colón will play Miguel, a dutiful cowboy who is quiet but formidable.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
The high-rise, which connects to Salesforce Park via a skybridge, only has a few floors left that are available for leasing — a formidable turnaround given that its entire office component was languishing on the sublease market less than three years ago.
—Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Mar. 2026
Josh Moore will be formidable competition for that starting job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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What was John thinking before the surface of the water appeared before his windshield, rushing forward at terrifying speed?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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As The Boys presents a terrifying dystopia under Homelander (Antony Starr) in the fifth and final season, Eric Kripke recently noted that any narrative similarities to our current dystopia are purely coincidental.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Christie acknowledged that the Kings were in a difficult position given their recent schedule injury situation.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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Even putting the tank on the ice was more difficult this year.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Orkin bed bug control Bed bug treatment is challenging, but something that Orkin excels at.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Turning your attention inward can feel challenging.—
J. David Creswell,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Wallner and second baseman Luke Keaschall had a scary collision in the eighth inning on a pop fly to right by Salvador Perez that Keaschall caught.—
David Brown,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2026
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Especially one that features Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson, Val Nichushkin and Nicolas Roy, all at the same time, a legitimately scary roster that goes four lines and two goaltenders deep.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Two sisters in Big Bear are facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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No pharmaceutical company, no academic medical center, and no government agency has found the existing preclinical data compelling enough to fund a rigorous human trial in over 30 years.—
Vikas Patel,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
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Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Layla Melendez,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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