1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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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
Speaking over the phone from her home outside of Los Angeles, the legendary actress is reminiscing about one of the many formidable women that appeared at her family’s western Ireland manor house during her childhood.
—
Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
Two formidable Scottish football men symbolised an end and a beginning.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Palm Desert’s baseball team is 12-4 and showing off a formidable one-two pitching punch in 6-foot-7 junior Jake Brande (4-1, 1.54 ERA) and Zach Gibbs (5-0, 1.47). . .
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Her and Taylor Jones are as formidable of a frontcourt duo as any in the nation.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Erik Morse, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
Two formidable Scottish football men symbolised an end and a beginning.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Palm Desert’s baseball team is 12-4 and showing off a formidable one-two pitching punch in 6-foot-7 junior Jake Brande (4-1, 1.54 ERA) and Zach Gibbs (5-0, 1.47). . .
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Her and Taylor Jones are as formidable of a frontcourt duo as any in the nation.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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The teaser trailer showcases the epic highs and lows of professional football, with a focus on the lows, as all of this looks terrifying.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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The teaser does feature a glimpse at Calypso, the man who hosts the tournament, as well as a signature laugh from Sweet Tooth the terrifying clown.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 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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In the episode, O'Dowd and Jones play Mike and Amanda, respectively, a couple living a happy and simple life until Amanda suffers a frightening medical emergency and passes out.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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But don't let the name fool you, Murderbot isn't actually the frightening story of a dangerous security robot.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The game is essentially 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball, offering a challenging experience that, while not entirely reflective of actual wheelchair basketball, provides a unique gameplay twist.—
Eammonn Dignam,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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But as the birds got more comfortable with the task at hand, the team made the experiment increasingly challenging.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The frontman proved expressive and animated despite serious hearing issues that sidelined him for a few scary years, and a voice that, understandably, doesn’t always have the sustain and power of earlier days.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Stocks have outperformed cash, bonds, and inflation by a wide margin over the long term despite many setbacks, many much scarier than tariffs or recession.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The new legislation would also apply tougher scrutiny to the process of acquiring a conflict of interest waiver for this kind of work.—
Allison Pecorin,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.—
Sanjeev Menon,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Keagan Ostop,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
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Although seeking refugee protection might come to mind, qualifying for refugee protection involves a complex, rigorous process that involves meeting a multi-pronged legal test.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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