as in challenge
something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that is used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable
The party is using attitudes about gun control as a litmus test for political candidates.
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Examples of litmus test in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
The actors playing these roles, including Sebastian Stan, as Trump, and Jeremy Strong, as Cohn, form something of a litmus test for styles of performance—and for the power (or failure) of visual compositions to showcase them.
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Advertisement One Harris advisor, who has known the vice president for years, described the 2020 Democratic primary as a series of ideological litmus tests and a competition to see how many of the liberal boxes the large field of jostling candidates could check.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
The letter was also a litmus test for what was acceptable to say publicly in a world where Donald Trump was president.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 26 Sep. 2024
In recent years, the Benin Bronzes have become a litmus test of such institutions’ readiness to return objects acquired by illicit means to their countries of origin.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for litmus test 
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Advertisement One Harris advisor, who has known the vice president for years, described the 2020 Democratic primary as a series of ideological litmus tests and a competition to see how many of the liberal boxes the large field of jostling candidates could check.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
The letter was also a litmus test for what was acceptable to say publicly in a world where Donald Trump was president.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 26 Sep. 2024
In recent years, the Benin Bronzes have become a litmus test of such institutions’ readiness to return objects acquired by illicit means to their countries of origin.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for litmus test
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litmus test
Noun
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Getting the proper care after diagnosis can also be a challenge.Diane Macedo, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2024
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The challenge for Harris is to gauge whether support or opposition to fracking will help her most in Pennsylvania.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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While trying his hand at the Hot Ones gauntlet in an episode posted Thursday, the Tonight Show host recalled his experience taking on the spicy chicken wing challenge with Gomez as part of a 2019 late-night segment.EW.com, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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Despite running that gauntlet, however, the media industry mainstay has notably not curtailed its ambitions to make a mark in film and television.Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Even though the Dead were more known for acid tests than their athletic prowess, Parish recalls that the Dead and their crew occasionally played baseball in the band’s early days.Alex Scordelis, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2024
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The acid test is the twofold stake Washington has long articulated: that Afghanistan does not become a base for terrorism against the West, or a haven for destabilizing its neighbors.Stephen Biddle, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2011
Noun
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Alpert maintains that his litmus for music has remained the same throughout the decades.Gary Graff, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2024
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Looking into next year, Fallout will be an early litmus.Will Bedingfield, WIRED, 28 Dec. 2023
Noun
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That trial resulted in a mistrial after the juries deadlocked.Phil Helsel, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024
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Trump also awaits sentencing for his May conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York and a possible criminal trial in Fulton County, Georgia, over his attempts to overthrow the 2020 election.Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Litmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litmus%20test. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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