Thesaurus results for LITMUS TEST

litmus test

noun

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.

Related Words

Relevance

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 litmus test Trump has stressed a desire for rate cuts as a litmus test for the new central bank chief. —

Sean Conlon,pia Singh, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026 When even pop stars become partisan litmus tests, that common ground keeps shrinking. —

Laurel Elder, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026 Lucas became a litmus test of sorts when his old school, Wisconsin, sued Miami, alleging Cristobal's staff induced the freshman into breaching his NIL contract with the Badgers. —

Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026 The slogan, embraced widely by progressives, quickly became a litmus test for candidates running in Democratic-leaning districts across the country. —

Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for litmus test

Recent Examples of Synonyms for litmus test

Noun

The El Paso incident underscores the challenges of coordinating military technology testing with civilian airspace safety, especially near international borders.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Feb. 2026
The first team to repeat as World Series champions in a quarter-century, the Dodgers’ challenge now is to become the first National League team (ever) to win three consecutive titles and join the Oakland A’s (1972-74) and New York Yankees (on multiple occasions) as the only franchises to do it.

— Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026