as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
beginning rock climbers should choose a less testing route to the summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Lindsey McGinnis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2021
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
There were only 40 lucky guests invited—two of whom unluckily could not attend after pre-testing positive for Covid—to what was effectively the launch of Marcelo Burlon’s new charitable foundation this July.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for testing
Adjective
The animated story of a cosmetics research rabbit had millions of views on social media and gathered more than 1.3 million signatures for anti-testing legislation in Mexico.
—Lindsey McGinnis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2021
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
There were only 40 lucky guests invited—two of whom unluckily could not attend after pre-testing positive for Covid—to what was effectively the launch of Marcelo Burlon’s new charitable foundation this July.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for testing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for testing
Adjective
-
Besides the challenging business climate in Chicago, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are contributing to rising food costs, and his immigration crackdown threatens to disrupt the food-service workforce.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
-
Points available at the stage’s finish vary based on a coefficient of difficulty: the more challenging the stage, the fewer points available.—
Sophie Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
New York police on Monday were trying to determine why someone set a woman ablaze board a train in Brooklyn in a fatal attack drawing outrage from city and state leaders who have been laboring to make the trains safer.—
John Bacon,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
-
The holdups come during one of the busiest travel times of the year, frustrating hundreds of customers trying to get home for the holidays.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Ullmann is the daughter of the late Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and the Norwegian actor Liv Ullmann, and specifics of her childhood are not difficult to locate.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
-
In a region where resources can be difficult to access and censorship persists, the initiative provided more than support.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
The military is examining options for soldiers to control the distribution of food limited to a minimum caloric amount necessary for survival, the person said.—
Anas Baba,
NPR,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The examining magistrate now has to decide what direction to give to the proceedings.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ozzy Osbourne shared 3 children with first wife Thelma Riley The father of six children over two marriages, Osbourne has been vocal about how rigorous touring and alcohol use affected his family life.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
-
The 22-year-old flew to the United States and went through the DCC’s rigorous tryouts, eventually becoming one of six new rookies to join the 36-member squad, out of thousands who auditioned.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
With the MacBook Air launching earlier than the iPhone SE and ahead of the next Apple Intelligence update, this points to a press release launch and Apple pushing its consumer laptops further into the background.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
That presents some planning opportunities, including possibly pushing some SALT payments into 2026.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
-
Stellantis' loss, versus a 5.6 billion euro net profit a year earlier, underscores the tough challenges for new CEO Antonio Filosa, who was appointed in May after a disastrous performance in the company's crucial U.S. market in 2024 forced the ouster of former boss Carlos Tavares.—
Giulio Piovaccari,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
He was forced to leave the game in the final minutes of the Pelicans’ Play-In Tournament loss to the Lakers last season after straining his left hamstring.—
William Guillory,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
-
This will deepen the divide between the global North and South on issues of race and cultural difference, straining the West’s diplomatic relations with countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America while provoking broader resentment toward Western countries seen as perpetuating racial hierarchies.—
Matias Spektor,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Testing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/testing. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share