as in gauntlet
a test of faith, patience, or strength
the hikers were finally rescued after a three-day ordeal in the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ordeal
According to TMZ‘s report, the ordeal took place before takeoff of a Sunday morning Delta flight out of San Francisco, which hosted Super Bowl LX.
—
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Guarino Sabate’s ordeal made headlines, garnering international attention.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
The entire ordeal lasted just four days.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Space for a crowd As news of the family's ordeal spread, customers new and old began packing the restaurant.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Guarino Sabate’s ordeal made headlines, garnering international attention.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
The entire ordeal lasted just four days.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Space for a crowd As news of the family's ordeal spread, customers new and old began packing the restaurant.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordeal
Noun
-
That kicks off an 11-game gauntlet in which the Knicks face eight teams currently in playoff position and three others within striking distance of a play-in spot.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
However, that doesn’t mean winning is guaranteed in the grueling gauntlet that’s the 6A Division I basketball playoffs.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This case bears close similarities to the trials of James and Jennifer Crumbley, whose then-15-year-old son killed four students in 2021 at his high school in Oxford, Michigan.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The company has been negotiating a settlement, opposed by Slater, to avoid a trial that could break it up along the lines of its 2010 merger.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Carvalho discussed the event’s main goal, to mark a year since the beginning of recovery from the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires in January of 2025.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
While a celebratory mood spreads across the country, survivors of a deadly fire in Hong Kong are still grieving with little to celebrate, like this man who lost his wife in the blaze.—
CNN staff,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Russia is now propelled by not Marxism but nationalism under the two-beamed cross of Orthodoxy.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Sweden had started the race as strong favorites, having won seven out of nine medals in the women's cross country competition.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordeal. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
