as in strength
strength of spirit; ability to continue despite difficulties
He showed his mettle as a fighter tonight with a heroic comeback.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mettle
The upset of Georgia represents a real breakthrough for a 12-8 Longhorn team yearning to find some consistency and defensive mettle and still make something of his up-and-down season.
—
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Weekends, however, test their mettle.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Our editors and contributors tested these at AD headquarters and within their home offices to test their mettle, recording their takeaways after at least a month (in most cases, several months) of sitting, rolling, and .
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
Experienced mountaineers can test their mettle and summit Mount Washington—one of the tallest mountains in the east with an elevation of 6,288 feet—with Northeast Mountaineering (from $375).
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mettle
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Weekends, however, test their mettle.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Our editors and contributors tested these at AD headquarters and within their home offices to test their mettle, recording their takeaways after at least a month (in most cases, several months) of sitting, rolling, and .
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
Experienced mountaineers can test their mettle and summit Mount Washington—one of the tallest mountains in the east with an elevation of 6,288 feet—with Northeast Mountaineering (from $375).
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mettle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mettle
Noun
-
Gone are the days when stars seemed to go from strength to strength — when Tom Hanks, for instance, followed Philadelphia with Forrest Gump, and Forrest Gump with Apollo 13, and Apollo 13 with Toy Story.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Like the single-leg stand, the sit-to-stand can also help test leg strength and endurance.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His speed and stamina levels were deceptive — while not always looking like a remarkable asset to the naked eye, the stats the club compiled said otherwise.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
As spring progresses, the Dodgers will continue to dial them up with precaution, especially at the start of the season when more hands on deck are required because some pitchers are still building up their stamina.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stem cell skincare products set out to harness the innate power of stem cells, which are naturally found in skin, to slow signs of aging.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Then came an almighty, barely believable surge spearheaded by Ngumoha, and if the VAR intervention was the slice of good fortune Forest needed, what happened next summed up everything about the power of those towards the top.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is a test of political courage.—
Jose Bernal,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Visceral, funny, provocative, timely and full of courage, this is a piece of work like no other.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mettle. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
