as in fire
a test of faith, patience, or strength
the hikers were finally rescued after a three-day ordeal in the wilderness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordeal
The ordeal has forced mountaineers and guides to revisit the ethics—or lack thereof—that climbers follow on the world’s highest peak, and to ask themselves how far climbers should go to improve their changes of actually reaching the top, and who belongs on the peak.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 31 Mar. 2025
The film unfolds in something akin to real-time, its screenplay — collated from and corroborated by the memories of the soldiers who survived the ordeal — determined to feel more like a transcript of events than the blueprint for a Hollywood film.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Mar. 2025
The incident recalled an ordeal Indenbaum faced in 2022, when his wife of 49 years died unexpectedly, prompting the widower to close her accounts and go through the paperwork, News 12 Long Island previously reported.
—David Chiu, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
My little brother, Phil, had just died after a terrible car crash and a six-year ordeal in a coma.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 31 Mar. 2025
The film unfolds in something akin to real-time, its screenplay — collated from and corroborated by the memories of the soldiers who survived the ordeal — determined to feel more like a transcript of events than the blueprint for a Hollywood film.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Mar. 2025
The incident recalled an ordeal Indenbaum faced in 2022, when his wife of 49 years died unexpectedly, prompting the widower to close her accounts and go through the paperwork, News 12 Long Island previously reported.
—David Chiu, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
My little brother, Phil, had just died after a terrible car crash and a six-year ordeal in a coma.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordeal
Noun
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The fires were personal for Scott — his fiancée Zooey Deschanel’s childhood home in the Palisades burned.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
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The fire is just north of Lake Adger, also southeast of Asheville.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The gauntlet begins with Monday’s road game in Dallas, where the Wild rallied late for a 3-2 overtime win on Dec. 27, in their first trip to the Lone Star State this season.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 Mar. 2025
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And Mark has to make it through a physical and emotional gauntlet, first in pitched battle with the superhuman bulk of Drummond, then in a quieter moment with Gemma.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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He was indicted on charges of murder-for-hire and drug distribution and is awaiting trial, according to prosecutors.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
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But Thompson said these four trials paint an incomplete picture.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trip #4 Goblin + Elf cross (2 minutes) with Chest #4 Goblin can’t make a third trip, so Elf + Satyr must return for the final chest (3 minutes) 5 minutes + 22 minutes = 27 minutes — Troll, Dwarf and Goblin, plus 4 chests are on the far side.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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So goes a single day with Doctor Odyssey, a cross between The Love Boat and ER filtered through the lunatic mind of Ryan Murphy and the nuttiest, most delightful new series in a minute.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordeal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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