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
In Hunt, a section of the county that faced particularly formidable inundation, at least 27 children and counselors from a girls' summer camp called Camp Mystic are among the dead, the camp announced.
—
Emily Mae Czachor
july 10, CBS News, 10 July 2025
This vision was executed over time and China has since become a formidable choke point today with nearly all links in the permanent magnet and rare earth supply chain.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
The Buffaloes must replace Hunter, Sanders and other stars from that team, but with another deep transfer portal class Colorado should be a formidable challenge for TCU once again.
—Steven Johnson
july 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2025
In short, because the Ukrainians have put up a formidable defense.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Emily Mae Czachor
july 10, CBS News, 10 July 2025
This vision was executed over time and China has since become a formidable choke point today with nearly all links in the permanent magnet and rare earth supply chain.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
The Buffaloes must replace Hunter, Sanders and other stars from that team, but with another deep transfer portal class Colorado should be a formidable challenge for TCU once again.
—Steven Johnson
july 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2025
In short, because the Ukrainians have put up a formidable defense.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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But a week later, what had been named the Dragon Bravo Fire hit a patch of fuel and took on a terrifying character in new gusts of wind, surrounding overwhelmed firefighters on a helipad and heading with unstoppable force to the south.—
Tom Zoellner,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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In the meantime, Brandy has been reflecting on the terrifying experience.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
People.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Diseases that are difficult to manage without early intervention, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, place a significant burden on health care budgets and patient quality of life.—
Kim Praitano,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Through it all, the Jurassic Park franchise continued to break new ground, surprising and captivating audiences with fresh, new and unexpected developments in each installment, made all the more vivid, realistic and frightening with the latest in CGI and believable acting.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 July 2025
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Perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that, in rural areas, such calamity occurs before any official help can arrive.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The scary thing about Jefferson's injury is that he was also kept out of multiple games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Dad is the one who's going to pretend to be a predator stalking the child and pretending to be a big, scary monster.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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The trio had no phone signal to call for help, due to being so far down in the cave, and so Kate made the tough decision to leave the boys to find help.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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If Trump takes Powell’s scalp, most observers warn, terrible things will unfold because of the ballooning national debt.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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But when terrible news arrives about her ex, all eyes turn to Ana — whose reputation isn't exactly sterling.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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