testing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈte-stiŋ How to pronounce testing (audio)
Definition of testingnext
as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort beginning rock climbers should choose a less testing route to the summit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

testing

2 of 2

verb

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

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

Synonyms & Similar 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 testing
Adjective
So a review of the principles and record of means-testing social programs is warranted. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2021 The debate among Democrats has cut across typical ideological lines, with centrist and moderate Democrats lining up in favor and against means-testing elements of the bill. — Andrew Duehren, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2021
Verb
Fox has also tapped into managers’ calls to the bullpen, while testing additional gear in the hopes of integrating elements into postseason coverage. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 July 2026 Alpine pulled this strategy straight out of Formula 1, where strict racing rules ban teams from testing physical cars on real tracks for most of the year. — New Atlas, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for testing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testing
  1. challenging
  2. sampling
  3. trying
  4. difficult
  5. examining
  6. stretching
  7. rigorous
  8. pushing
Adjective
  • These renovations have made Bliss Matcha & Beyond’s move less challenging, according to Gorski.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
  • Ahead of a challenging midterm election, Republicans have seized an opportunity to castigate their opponents as extremists after democratic socialists won recent Democratic congressional primaries in New York and Colorado.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of challenging
Verb
  • If those pieces come together, the robot could find use in environmental monitoring – sampling lakes, rivers, coastlines, and marine ecosystems, essentially an amphibious drone with gull-like ambitions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Explore unique crafts, goods and gifts from more than 15 local vendors while sampling holiday treats and summer sweets.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of sampling
Verb
  • Those rooms are tricky and repeatedly trip up the players who are actually trying to win.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • There is no point in trying to shame him into being different.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of trying
Adjective
  • Her protectiveness of the island stretches back years, in part because Nantucket saved her, in a way, during a difficult time in her life.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • In the book, Hollis asks Gigi to stay after a difficult conversation about the affair.
    — Max Gao, Variety, 11 July 2026
Definition of difficult
Verb
  • Recent tensions over immigration enforcement The allegations follow recent disagreements between Abarca and Forté over a legislative hearing examining local agencies’ involvement in a federal operation at La Fontanella Foods.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • The distinction comes as the Baltimore City Council members push to hold a hearing examining how the city would respond if brownouts became a problem during future periods of extreme heat.
    — Brian Carlton, Baltimore Sun, 16 July 2026
Definition of examining
Verb
  • In the eastern Indian Ocean, south of Java in the vast sea stretching toward Australia, a fishing vessel slightly alters its course while operating near the boundary of its authorized fishing ground.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
  • Native to waters stretching from Russia's Sakhalin Islands through Japan and southern China, Manila clams have spread around the world through both accidental and intentional introductions.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of stretching
Adjective
  • For more than two decades, the duo hauled in more than 4 pounds of clams each morning from the lagoon in the Po River Delta — upending the notion that women were unsuited for such a rigorous job.
    — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Over the summer, kids might not have had to stick to a rigorous morning routine, but that all changes during the school year.
    — Parents, Parents, 17 July 2026
Definition of rigorous
Verb
  • The former youth pastor suspected of pushing his wife off a Utah cliff died by suicide in a very unusual way, said the sheriff who oversees Las Vegas’ jails.
    — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • As a car speeds up, the air resistance pushing against it increases and forces the engine to work harder, using more fuel to achieve the same speed.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
Definition of pushing

Browse Nearby Words

testiness
testing
test pilot
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Cite this Entry

“Testing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testing. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on testing

Nglish: Translation of testing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about testing

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