as in gauntlet
a test of faith, patience, or strength
the hikers were finally rescued after a three-day ordeal in the wilderness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordeal
The series begins in 1933 when Gies takes a job working for Frank and follows her through the outbreak of the war, the ordeal of occupation and the melancholy denouement that sees Otto emerge as the lone survivor from the attic.
—
David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Apr. 2026
The frightening ordeal doesn't seem to have made much of an impact on Benny, however.
—Courtney Cole, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The animal population, however, faced a different ordeal.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
What should have been a 30-minute, easy-breezy appointment turned into a two-hour ordeal.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Apr. 2026
The frightening ordeal doesn't seem to have made much of an impact on Benny, however.
—Courtney Cole, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The animal population, however, faced a different ordeal.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
What should have been a 30-minute, easy-breezy appointment turned into a two-hour ordeal.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordeal
Noun
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The Timberwolves’ chances of surviving the gauntlet of the postseason took a blow with the loss of DiVincenzo — and an injury to Anthony Edwards, too — and yet received a boon from Dosunmu.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Developers face a gauntlet of zoning rules, permitting delays, high construction costs, expensive property taxes and local political hurdles, all of which slow or shrink projects before they ever get built.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Eventually, he would be given a fair trial by a jury of his peers.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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But whether a potential second film would try to acknowledge the abuse allegations against Jackson, including those at the center of a 2005 trial that ended in his acquittal on all counts, is unclear.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the wrong hands, connections like that can lead to cronyism and profiteering — and there were times when Gray’s relationships came under fire.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The cause of the plane’s malfunctions is, duh, random sparks from annoying Dan’s charger starting a fire in cargo.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Oihane drove a low cross into the box to find Banda in front of goal, and the forward threaded her shot through heavy traffic into the back of the net to draw level at 2-2.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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The demolition at the convent came days after images of an Israeli soldier wielding an ax against a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern Lebanese village of Debel sparked widespread condemnation, in Lebanon and internationally.—
Bassem Mroue,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordeal. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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