TRIAL Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

trial 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrī(-ə)l

Definition of trial

as in ordeal

a test of faith, patience, or strength living with her insufferable relatives was a real trial

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in rehearsal

a private performance or session in preparation for a public appearance ran another trial of the aerial performance before opening night

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as in test

a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty trials by medical researchers haven't determined whether the medication is safe or not

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as in attempt

an effort to do or accomplish something will rest and make another trial at climbing the mountain

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as in headache

something that is a source of irritation trying to have a coherent phone conversation with his senile father was always a trial

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trial

2 of 2

adjective

as in experimental

made or done as an experiment a trial medical procedure that should be considered only after all other options have been exhausted

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 trial

Noun

His ex-wife Lindsay was facing murder charges in connection with their deaths, but jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict following her trial in Massachusetts. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026 Additionally, some of the prosecution’s most damning evidence against her was excluded from Lizzie’s trial. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Clancy’s triple murder trial ended in a mistrial after jurors said they were deadlocked and a higher court rejected the defense’s bid to intervene in the deliberations. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026 Peacock doesn't have a free trial, but there is a workaround. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trial

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trial

Noun

The ordeal began when 56-year-old Hawkins placed a mattress against the door of the home to prevent the woman from leaving, officials said.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
The ordeal began Sunday after authorities said Spencer threatened people with a gun, rammed a sheriff’s patrol vehicle and fled into the forest.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of ordeal

Noun

Alleigha was the church's main worship leader and performed alongside Flynn, who sang with the worship team during rehearsals and weekend services, Keyt testified.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Outside a rehearsal space in this city ringed by mountains, opera singer Michael Kuhn was practicing fly casting.

— Annie Gowen, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of rehearsal

Noun

If a soil test reveals a lack of nutrients, add a slow-release granular fertilizer to fuel your garlic’s growth.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2026
Following a Wall Street Journal report, Google has confirmed that Gemini models hacked three companies during a May 2026 test, but the nature of the intrusion isn’t as troubling (or impressive) as previous AI hacks.

— Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of test

Noun

Thin partitions marked an early attempt to slice the space into smaller rooms, but the original brick walls remained bare, shivering with cobwebs, where someone had pasted a picture of a man, holy hands bracketing a redbrick heart.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Though the trauma is still haunting the crew, a whole summer has gone by since the Akira One hit the dock on their first docking attempt, largely because of the party boats.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of attempt

Noun

In another incident that gave Europe a headache, officials suggested Russia was behind a drone that breached Lithuania’s airspace earlier this month.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026
Typical symptoms are a high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle, bone or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, swollen glands, and skin rash.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of headache

Adjective

Breaking the sound barrier is only the beginning Making a passenger aircraft fly at Mach 2 is considerably more complicated than demonstrating supersonic flight with a fighter or small experimental aircraft.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
Transparent footwear is an experimental style that came about in the 50s and 60s.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of experimental

Noun

Evolution When asked about the greatest innovation of humans, people will often say language or fire.

— Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia The election’s last day came against a backdrop of a major wave of Ukrainian attacks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026