as in strength
strength of spirit; ability to continue despite difficulties
He showed his mettle as a fighter tonight with a heroic comeback.
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Recent Examples of mettle
To control the damage and prove his mettle, Hegseth barnstormed the Capitol for meetings with mostly Republican senators.
—
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2025
There are some who would prefer to see Bivol take on David Benavidez, the monstrous puncher who has proven his mettle at super middleweight and light heavyweight.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Across two record-setting seasons, Alan Ritchson has proved his mettle and then some as larger-than-life antihero Jack Reacher on Prime Video’s Reacher.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
After proving his mettle with such menial jobs, Marks told me, he was eventually given a different but no less innocuous assignment: spend time brushing up on the NBA’s collective-bargaining agreement.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mettle
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2025
There are some who would prefer to see Bivol take on David Benavidez, the monstrous puncher who has proven his mettle at super middleweight and light heavyweight.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Across two record-setting seasons, Alan Ritchson has proved his mettle and then some as larger-than-life antihero Jack Reacher on Prime Video’s Reacher.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
After proving his mettle with such menial jobs, Marks told me, he was eventually given a different but no less innocuous assignment: spend time brushing up on the NBA’s collective-bargaining agreement.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mettle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mettle
Noun
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There’s an inner strength that comes out when needed.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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State of play: Boyce will take over a department that is still trying to reach full strength.—
Zachery Eanes,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Theory one: After producing nine Bond films over 30 years, starting with GoldenEye in 1995, Broccoli no longer has the stomach or stamina for another years-long Bond production marathon.—
Benjamin Svetkey and Julian Sancton,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
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The terms refer to any exercise that enhances a muscle's overall strength or stamina.—
Katrina Carter,
Verywell Health,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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That power is vested in prosecutors as executive branch officials.—
Michael Rothfeld,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2025
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Her lung power seems surprisingly undiminished, and the same goes for her sense of pitch.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That all-important contrast is missing (as are any employees who do the manual labor of cleaning up after the guests), which is why the show feels like a deflated satire that never had the courage of its convictions to begin with.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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While initially working in a hair salon in his hometown of Houston, Guerrero worked up the courage to move to L.A. to pursue his dreams.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mettle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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