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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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 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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But in more challenging economic times, homeowners are seeking ways to make upgrades without breaking the bank.—
Janeé Bolden,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
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And the small launch business has proven to be economically challenging.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
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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If a tough memory comes up, imagine your adult self swooping in to take care of your child self.—
Carolyn L. Todd,
SELF,
4 Apr. 2025
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On others, such as birthright citizenship, the Administration has a tougher path to victory.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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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
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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