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
Izzy Sampson, 19, from England, shared her ordeal in a TikTok video posted under her account @izzy.sampson, which has had over 632,000 views since it was first posted on May 4.
—
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Fine and Ventura found support in each other and their families throughout their ordeals.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 27 June 2025
The injured lifeguard was alert and conscious throughout the ordeal.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Thankfully, Midas is now fully recovered from his gassy ordeal, and is back to his usual self, running around the house and enjoying life.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Fine and Ventura found support in each other and their families throughout their ordeals.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 27 June 2025
The injured lifeguard was alert and conscious throughout the ordeal.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Thankfully, Midas is now fully recovered from his gassy ordeal, and is back to his usual self, running around the house and enjoying life.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordeal
Noun
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Donald Trump has ignited a five-alarm fire and the chaos has reached a fever pitch.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
The most recent incarnation of the lodge had been operational since 1937, after a kitchen fire burned down the original in 1932.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Noun
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After the gauntlet of an audition for the first film, Meg and Milo have become household names for their young fans.—
Scott King,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Canada qualified for the 2022 World Cup — the nation’s first appearance in the tournament since 1986 — by winning Concacaf’s qualifying gauntlet via a goal difference tiebreaker, notching meaningful wins over Mexico and the United States on home soil.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The agency is currently moving forward with its preparations for a trial involving Amazon’s Prime program.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
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Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime to access every single deal.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
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When Silva could only half-clear Neto’s cross, Joao Pedro took one touch to control the ball, another to get it out from under his feet and then curled it perfectly beyond the reach of goalkeeper Fabio.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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The giant moa — a husky, wingless bird that could stand almost 12 feet tall — once booked it across New Zealand’s landscapes on legs that looked like a cross between an overgrown chicken and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordeal. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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