as in ordeal
a negative event or circumstance that is common to a particular setting or situation and is usually beyond one's control
The vicissitudes of medical school proved too much for the anxious student.
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Recent Examples of vicissitude
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
—
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
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Four other individuals hid in a storage closet throughout the ordeal.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The five-hour ordeal ended after the hostage fled while retrieving water, prompting Akkad to chase him into the street, where he was hit by a police car.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Every week is a fresh start with a new gauntlet and a new Snake.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The trio must tag team to outsmart a cunning international thief and save a priceless diamond gauntlet — just in time for Christmas.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Marking the start of the solar calendar, it’s known for its anything-goes water festivities: Participants armed with water guns, buckets, and hoses splash each other in a symbolic cleansing of sins and washing away of misfortunes that allow a fresh start in the new year.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
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But someone’s misfortune is always another bettor’s blessing.—
Vik Chokshi,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Out of the privation, the challenge, and the censure of slavery and the unfulfilled promise of post-Reconstruction justice, Black musicians embraced experimentation and innovation, ingenuity and joy, and a multigenerational call and response speaking truth to power that endures to the present day.—
Elizabeth Alexander,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
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As a prisoner of war, Morris R. Wills faced a gamut of privations—he was left malnourished and consigned to filthy conditions amid the ever-present threat of execution.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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