as in challenge
something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that is used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable
The party is using attitudes about gun control as a litmus test for political candidates.
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Recent Examples of litmus test
The bills face broad industry opposition, and their movement through the California Capitol will likely be seen as a litmus test for whether states can reign in AI companies.
—
Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Inter Miami provides the best challenge and litmus test yet.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
The Padres’ sale is viewed as a litmus test for valuations at a critical time for baseball.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Better yet, these sneakers pass the Disney litmus test, meaning they’ve been proven to withstand even the most step-heavy plans and activities.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litmus test
Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Inter Miami provides the best challenge and litmus test yet.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
The Padres’ sale is viewed as a litmus test for valuations at a critical time for baseball.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Better yet, these sneakers pass the Disney litmus test, meaning they’ve been proven to withstand even the most step-heavy plans and activities.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litmus test
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litmus test
Noun
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Rookies have inherent onboarding challenges.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Food and drink There are obvious challenges in planning gourmet meals in the middle of Antarctica.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Commuters in New York City’s suburbs navigated a gauntlet of car, bus and subway routes to get to work Monday after a strike on the Long Island Rail Road that shut down the nation’s busiest commuter rail system entered its third day.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
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Turner snaked through the gauntlet, as his teammates playfully slapped and shoved him around.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Self-translation is the acid test for one’s writing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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The acid test of whether California is getting bang for its taxpayers’ buck is the fact that former Californians have voted with their feet in droves.—
Jim Doti,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Over the past three weeks, the collapse of the once-tight bond between two of the most prominent names in AI has been the subject of a high-profile trial in Oakland, California, after Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024 for allegedly violating their commitment to keep OpenAI as a nonprofit.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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Supreme Court overturns convictions The unraveling began publicly in October 2023 when Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial accusing Hill of jury tampering.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
But if President Xi does make a move, whether by mounting a full-scale attack or using his military to blockade the island, the key question will be where such actions fall on the litmus scale.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 Sep. 2025
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And, of course, this is the first major litmus tense of the young and divisive Donald Trump presidency.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Litmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litmus%20test. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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