1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
Its formidable Second Fleet would protect sea routes, support the continent’s major naval powers, and continue to provide extended deterrence—satiating Europeans who are afraid of abandonment at a time of Russian revanchism.
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Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
The bottom line: Selzer has a formidable track record, but she's been off the mark before.
—Justin Green, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
On Thursday, Unrivaled added another one of Clark’s WNBA teammates, Fever star Aliyah Boston, to its formidable cast as player No. 30.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The expansion of that conflict to southern Lebanon led to Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran’s most formidable proxy, and decimated the organization’s commanding hierarchy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for formidable 
Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
The bottom line: Selzer has a formidable track record, but she's been off the mark before.
—Justin Green, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
On Thursday, Unrivaled added another one of Clark’s WNBA teammates, Fever star Aliyah Boston, to its formidable cast as player No. 30.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The expansion of that conflict to southern Lebanon led to Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran’s most formidable proxy, and decimated the organization’s commanding hierarchy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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Learn more › While the roar of the mighty Tyrannosaurs rex in the Jurassic Park film franchise is pretty terrifying, it was actually created by Hollywood special effects wizards using the sounds of a baby elephant.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2024
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In this show, the most terrifying threat is not any singular person or group, but rather, the monsters inside us.Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
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Antiaircraft fire kept the bombers so high, however, that aim was difficult to manage, and the bombs fell indiscriminately, destroying more than 4,300 homes while damaging three-quarters of the city's factories.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
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But maintaining the progress made by Lynn the previous season was made all the more difficult by the fact that UCLA’s defense had been depleted by the NFL draft.Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
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The French Lutin fae can turn malicious if insulted, ruining crops and frightening animals.Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
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Sanders has avoided a serious injury after a frightening incident during last night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
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The company continues to focus on expanding its distribution business and broadening its product range, despite the challenging economic environment.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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The digital detox journey can be challenging, but many people discover it to be rewarding in the end.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024
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While this can be scary, none of these should be concerning as all cruise ships are tested in storm-like conditions and the rocking mechanisms are designed to stabilize the ship against rough water.Devika Rao, theweek, 19 Nov. 2024
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Sign up here For me, the scariest part of this discovery is that BFRs have been banned in the U.S. since 2004.Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
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Bosa confirmed Wednesday that playing through a hip injury last game was the toughest pain he’s endured in 5 1/2 seasons.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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The Buffs need to find a way to grind out tough yards on the ground, especially late.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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Meanwhile Kelly Oubre, who was terrible with the Warriors, has found success with Philadelphia.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Elsbeth and Kaya are suspicious of Roselyn, even after Valentina’s quick assessment — supported by the medical examiner — that Claude’s death was a terrible accident.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Yet a Brown University study found that students who took courses from professors with more rigorous grading standards learned more.Karin Klein, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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And the Bruins played a rigorous out-of-state schedule to prepare for another run.Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near formidable
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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