1
as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength
living with her insufferable relatives was a real trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in rehearsal
a private performance or session in preparation for a public appearance
ran another trial of the aerial performance before opening night
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in test
a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty
trials by medical researchers haven't determined whether the medication is safe or not
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
trying to have a coherent phone conversation with his senile father was always a trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in experimental
made or done as an experiment
a trial medical procedure that should be considered only after all other options have been exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 trial
Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Misinterpret a flawed trial, overtrust anecdotal experience or trust the wrong person, and patients are left at the mercy of ineffective or even harmful treatments.
—Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The most common issues with the shot were mild-to-moderate local reactions such as redness or swelling at the injection site, affecting about 11% of trial participants.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Thug, who earned praise from many for staying solid during the early phases of his RICO trial, has pushed back hard against the allegations.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trial
Noun
The trial presented a crash course in the entrenched gang lifestyle that drives so much of the city’s seemingly endless violence, from typical disputes over drug turf to the more recent phenomenon where tit-for-tat disses on social media foster a cycle of retaliation and murder.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Misinterpret a flawed trial, overtrust anecdotal experience or trust the wrong person, and patients are left at the mercy of ineffective or even harmful treatments.
—Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The most common issues with the shot were mild-to-moderate local reactions such as redness or swelling at the injection site, affecting about 11% of trial participants.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Thug, who earned praise from many for staying solid during the early phases of his RICO trial, has pushed back hard against the allegations.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trial
Noun
-
See the full list of competitors and their partners, then press PLAY on the video above to watch Julianne Hough take a deep dive into her medical ordeal.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Just over 1,500 children have been rescued from Russia, with almost half of those facilitated by Save Ukraine, a charity dedicated to the return of Russian children who helped Katya get back to Ukrainian territory after her weekslong ordeal in the military camp.—
Guy Davies,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Feldman, who has been taking part in daily rehearsals with Johnson, explained that his previous experience with dancing significantly differed from learning to master ballroom dance under his partner's guidance.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Practices are held for two hours every Monday, and quartets have additional rehearsals on their own time.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Athletic Club defender Yeray Alvarez has been handed a 10-month suspension by UEFA following a positive doping test.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The money would provide for beginning mechanical removal of the algae mass in the most problematic areas and setting up test areas for the effectiveness of algicides, Miller said.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After the FanDuel announcement, the court found that SEPTA's attempt to implement planned service cuts during Thursday's Eagles game was a violation of the August 29 court order, a claim that SEPTA disputes.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Watch his sumo wrestling attempt in the video at the top of the story.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The fight over transit funding is just one part of a bigger headache—Pennsylvania’s budget is more than nine weeks late.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Symptoms of Chagas disease include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, and eyelid swelling.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The experimental setup handled thousands of transactions among up to 1,800 parties, just a fraction of the scale in real clearinghouses but enough to show how future versions of the hardware could make a difference.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Since its opening in mid-June, the experimental project has driven a 25 percent increase in total sales across the West Nanjing Road thoroughfare.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Authorities believe the fire originated from lightning.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
At one point, Haggard said fire rescue treated Kehl, who had been acting erratically.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The dueling, hourslong hearings on Thursday offered a preview of the upcoming floor debates, which will take shape in the House and Senate over the next week.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Armani had missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trial. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share