gauntlet

noun

variants also gantlet
Definition of gauntletnext
as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength before being adopted, school textbooks must often run the gauntlet of several local and state committees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gauntlet To complete his gauntlet in November, Flora must defeat Matthew Adams — a Democrat who doesn’t have the name recognition or financial backing of the incumbent. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026 Ohio State and Alabama need wins to maintain momentum ahead of a tougher gantlet, while Mississippi State and Iowa look to prove hot starts are no fluke. — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Once past the lobby, ticket holders file along a snaking path, passing a gauntlet of screens, then take an elevator up to a series of rooms filled with … more screens. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026 With the infinity stones in their possession, the Avengers create their own gauntlet to harness their power, and Banner uses it to restore the other half of the universe. — Michael McDonough, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gauntlet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gauntlet
  1. ordeal
  2. fire
  3. trial
Noun
  • His ordeal would go on to become one of the most egregious examples of prosecutorial misconduct in the United States.
    — Madeleine Baran, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That entire ordeal is presented in detail, a backstage drama in miniature that treats the boardroom soap opera as the last chance to keep Pandora’s box shut.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • In Lyon, France's third-largest city where about 20,000 protesters joined the march, a fire broke out inside a tourist office.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • At the height of the incident, DeKalb fire crews blocked two right lanes of I-85 southbound and the entire access road next to it.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • During the trial, Solberg's father, Bobby Solberg, delivered an emotional victim impact statement criticizing Pollis for putting the families through the lengthy proceedings.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • During the weekslong trial, prosecutors painted Murdaugh as a fraudster who killed his wife and son as a desperate attempt to distract from investigations into his vast financial crimes.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of trial

Browse Nearby Words

gaunt
gauntlet
gauntlets
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Cite this Entry

“Gauntlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gauntlet. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gauntlet

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gauntlet

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