test 1 of 2

noun

ˈtest How to pronounce test (audio)
Definition of testnext
1
as in experiment
a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty will need to run some tests on the blood sample to rule out blood poisoning

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2
as in exam
a set of questions or problems designed to assess knowledge, skills, or intelligence applicants for the cashier's position must first take a simple math test

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test

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to sample
to put (something) to a test please test this sample for the presence of lead

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2
as in to try
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress all of these unnecessary questions are testing my patience

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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 test
Noun
The successful run follows cold testing completed earlier this spring, where crews pressurized the primary circuit to scrub pipes and test for micro-leaks. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 The key test will be whether Europe’s latest reforms change commercial behavior in its favor. — Kimberley Jane Barnes, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
While the odds of getting struck by lightning are higher than winning the big prize, some are grabbing their tickets to test their luck. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 They’re not supposed to be testing his loyalty, much less taking it for granted. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for test
Recent Examples of Synonyms for test
  1. experiment
  2. exam
  3. sample
  4. try
  5. examination
  6. stretch
  7. push
  8. strain
Noun
  • But University of South Dakota researchers in 2023 published the results of an experiment — using blood capsules with an artificial skin — that demonstrated bedbugs could acquire MRSA during one feeding and spread it during a later one.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Positrons themselves are an active subject of fundamental physics research, including experiments that have recently observed wave behavior in positronium.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of experiment
Noun
  • Only 35 girls are admitted to the school every year out of 150 who are invited to participate in an entrance exam on the basis of their grades.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The company first disclosed in July that during a cybersecurity exam, a combination of its AI agents with internal safeguards purposely lowered escaped their testing environment through a previously unknown bug.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of exam
Verb
  • In one series of experiments, Cao and his team processed 21 million cells, sampled from 14 tissues or organs in about 50 male and female mice at five life stages, and built a data set of gene expression for each cell.
    — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Tristan and Jamie sampled the Margherita, Pistachio and Vodka Pesto.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sample
Verb
  • In a time when destinations are trying to achieve their tourism sustainability goals with master plans, Chichibu suggests there might be a different way.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The performances were much needed for a team trying to avoid exhausting its pitching staff by October.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of try
Noun
  • Noor Kestou, 33, of Commerce, appeared for a preliminary examination on Thursday on an involuntary manslaughter charge, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And Becca is so sassy too when Mel wants to try to do the examination.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of examination
Verb
  • There is sound business in stretching a recognisable design language rather than continually starting again.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In the video, pools of thick, black oil can be seen stretching along the beach, on Qeshm’s southeast coast.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stretch
Verb
  • Taken together, current and former officials interviewed say, those positions could narrow the military's recruiting pool while pushing some troops already in uniform to reconsider staying.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Sangare was one of the core players of the Lens side who pushed Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain hard for the French title last season, eventually coming up six points short.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • Unlike some intentional living arrangements, residents paid one fee that covered meals and household expenses, removing much of the financial stress that can strain communal living.
    — Windsor Johnston, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
  • When relationships within the family are already strained, those functions become even more significant.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of strain

Phrases Containing test

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Cite this Entry

“Test.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/test. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on test

Nglish: Translation of test for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about test

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