1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
However, any delivery of these formidable aircraft and weapons is, at minimum, several years away.
—
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Thursday’s 7-4 win against the formidable Atlanta Braves, then, could loom larger than most games when a bigger picture forms.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Democrats’ challenge in both districts is formidable, but the money has been pouring in.
—Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Connecticut’s offense is formidable, but its defense is suspect.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Thursday’s 7-4 win against the formidable Atlanta Braves, then, could loom larger than most games when a bigger picture forms.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Democrats’ challenge in both districts is formidable, but the money has been pouring in.
—Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Connecticut’s offense is formidable, but its defense is suspect.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The terrifying predicament happened Sunday, March 23, in a wooded area off Interstate 10 in LaPlace, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a March 26 news release.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Good news California began trying to police ghost guns after those frightening findings came out, enacting legislation in both 2022 and 2023 to curtail their unregulated sales.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Having a terminal diagnosis is challenging but also clarifying.—
Ashley M. Wilcox,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Assessing type A skills of collaboration solely from resumes can be challenging.—
Ming-Chien Chyu,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The scary part is how quickly and naturally this thinking could extend to current employees.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The scariest unknown for women with cancer, after the disease itself, can be their husbands—a staggering number of whom abandon their wives in the wake of a diagnosis.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After some tough matchups in the Trader Joe’s Elite Sweets Tournament, one classic emerged as the champion.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Apr. 2025
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But the Lotus ladies will have some tough competition, including seven-time winner Allison Janney, two-time winner Patricia Arquette, and potential double nominee Kaitlyn Dever.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
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This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the cost of such rigorous theming: Since you’re supposed to be inside a game, anything that gets in the way of that illusion is banned.—
Todd Anderson,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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To receive autism certification through Autism Double Checked, staff at participating properties go through rigorous training on how to best support their autistic guests, such as how to adapt a menu for a picky eater and how to avoid strongly scented cleaning products.—
Jamie Davis Smith,
AFAR Media,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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