Synonyms of gauntlet

gauntlet

noun

variants also gantlet

as in ordeal

a test of faith, patience, or strength

before being adopted, school textbooks must often run the gauntlet of several local and state committees

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ordeal
• fire
• trial
• cross
• crucible
• initiation
• challenge
• baptism of fire
• misfortune
• baptism
• adversity
• hardship
• tribulation
• grievance
• tragedy
• grief
• mishap
• woe
• trouble
• difficulty
• vicissitude
• misadventure
• acid test
• privation
• litmus test
• rigor
• discomfort
• inconvenience
• complication
• nuisance
• mischance
• affliction
• asperity
• annoyance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gauntlet

Oppenheimer and One Battle After Another successfully ran the Best Picture gauntlet despite being pegged as favorites from the get-go. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

To complete his gauntlet in November, Flora must defeat Matthew Adams — a Democrat who doesn’t have the name recognition or financial backing of the incumbent. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026

Ohio State and Alabama need wins to maintain momentum ahead of a tougher gantlet, while Mississippi State and Iowa look to prove hot starts are no fluke. — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Once past the lobby, ticket holders file along a snaking path, passing a gauntlet of screens, then take an elevator up to a series of rooms filled with … more screens. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026