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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Recent Examples of litmus test
The Gators are one of the SEC's weakest teams, so Sunday's game was a poor litmus test for whether this lineup can work in the NCAA Tournament.
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Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Britain’s handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many observers as a litmus test for the Commonwealth’s adaptation to a modern-day world.
—Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
The bottom line: How the battle over fluoride plays out could be a litmus test of how much influence a Trump White House can exert on local city halls.
—Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
This game against a potential playoff foe was somewhat of a litmus test for the Seahawks, who handled business coming out of the bye week with wins over the Cardinals (twice), 49ers and Jets.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for litmus test 
Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Britain’s handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many observers as a litmus test for the Commonwealth’s adaptation to a modern-day world.
—Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
The bottom line: How the battle over fluoride plays out could be a litmus test of how much influence a Trump White House can exert on local city halls.
—Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
This game against a potential playoff foe was somewhat of a litmus test for the Seahawks, who handled business coming out of the bye week with wins over the Cardinals (twice), 49ers and Jets.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for litmus test
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litmus test
Noun
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As another challenge, wind gusts are up to 60 mph and expected to resume.Janhvi Bhojwani, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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Prisons are also facing retention challenges: staffing shortages in some Australian prisons are so acute that 23-hour lockdowns have been instituted in order to keep control.Richard Hobbs, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But those lines, and those gauntlets, differ depending who is asked.Will Carless, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2025
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The Chiefs, though, are in a bit of a difficult position, considering their gauntlet of a schedule coming up with games played on Saturday vs. the Texans and then Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Steelers.Jeff Fedotin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Liverpool passed acid tests in Milan and Manchester, and are perfect from six Champions League games, only conceding once.Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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That was the acid test that our music was acceptable.David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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One of the best was the part about enjoying the season and not making playoff success your litmus for hockey fandom happiness.Murat Ates, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
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Alpert maintains that his litmus for music has remained the same throughout the decades.Gary Graff, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
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But in the downtown criminal courthouse, the absence of defendants derailed proceedings in several cases, including at least one murder trial slated to begin closing arguments Friday.Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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Nauta and De Oliveira argued a limited release to lawmakers could still prejudice any eventual trial against them.Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Litmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litmus%20test. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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