1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
Transitioning into a managerial role is both an exciting milestone and a formidable challenge.
—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
The exec has formidable experience across the live-action and animation spheres as well as family fare.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
Kingda Ka formed a formidable trio of top roller coasters — with Nitro and El Toro — that was hard to beat on the East Coast, if not the entire country.
—Mike Davis, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
On February 16, after their painfully close attempt three days prior, the two ski mountaineers reached the summit and then carved their signatures down the South Face of the Rockies’ most formidable peak.
—Jake Stern, Outside Online, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
The exec has formidable experience across the live-action and animation spheres as well as family fare.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
Kingda Ka formed a formidable trio of top roller coasters — with Nitro and El Toro — that was hard to beat on the East Coast, if not the entire country.
—Mike Davis, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
On February 16, after their painfully close attempt three days prior, the two ski mountaineers reached the summit and then carved their signatures down the South Face of the Rockies’ most formidable peak.
—Jake Stern, Outside Online, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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The harsh environment, mostly devoid of human presence, feels almost terrifying in its vastness—but that feeling quickly gives way to awe and excitement.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Vogue,
4 Mar. 2025
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The terrifying incident unfolded Saturday morning, shortly after the Boeing 767 lifted off from its runway at Newark Liberty Airport.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But daylight saving time throws that natural cycle a bit out of whack, and that can be particularly difficult for kids.—
Dina Roth Port,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
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On the other hand lies the more difficult but ultimately more promising path: repudiation of that post-2008 legacy and a conscientious return to a politics of the prudential center.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Funny how quickly things change in the NHL. Or frightening.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Its mechanical legs resemble a Star Wars stormtrooper while its humanoid design, featuring extended coil arms and over-resilient survival adaptability, is both awesome and a little frightening — mankind’s extinction made cute.—
Armond White,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This can be a challenging variable to track, given that there were insufficient details about the victim's mental health status in approximately 30% of incidents, Rad said.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
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Builders are facing a challenging market with mixed economic signals.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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People can discover new ways of relating to our bodies or different ways of thinking about transness or queerness in ways that aren’t so scary or alienating for them but that feel inviting and welcoming.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Weighty — and scary — subject matter for a tween, Blair got the role of Regan with just a couple of prior credits under her belt.—
Diana Pearl,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Ties during Trump’s first term One of the hallmarks of the first Trump Administration was a tougher stance towards China compared to his predecessors, through tit-for-tat tariffs and an Indo-Pacific strategy that aimed to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the Western Pacific.—
Chad de Guzman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
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How to Bet Timberwolves vs. Lakers Following up a game like Tuesday's would be tough for the Wolves under any circumstances, but with Edwards battling a calf injury and DiVincenzo potentially sidelined, beating the Lakers in L.A. will be that much more difficult.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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State of play: Cleveland is terrible at planting trees.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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All in all, even a moderate approach was like 12-hours of rigorous cardio.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2025
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Every mortgage article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of mortgage products.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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