CHALLENGED Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

challenged

verb

Definition of challenged

past tense of challenge

as in questioned

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of don't hesitate to challenge any statement that generalizes about people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dared

to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat I challenge you to swim to the other side of the pond

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as in required

to have as a requirement having to put up with an overbearing boss challenges forbearance

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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 challenged The senator challenged Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s decision to extend voting by two hours, arguing that the uneven application of the measure had undermined equal voting conditions. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 Bolsonaro has already challenged the results, prolonging the political flux and adding fresh pressure to the currency. — Marta Biino, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026 If a decision gets challenged months down the line, the organization should be able to trace the decision-making process from the data to the system recommendations, human intervention and decision. — Ramachander Rao Thallada, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 That was the day DeepSeek challenged assumptions around the need for costly AI capex. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026 Lombardo and his allies have challenged Ford’s record and judgment, including over Ford’s out-of-state travel and his handling of a clemency matter. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 The president also challenged Maher’s claim that the dinner lasted four hours. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2026 Political analyst Majeed Dahiru told The Associated Press that Tinubu’s chances of winning a second term are challenged by public discontent over his economic policies. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Ventura County prosecutors successfully challenged that decision, and Luster was denied parole again in April 2025. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenged

Verb

The search drew sharp condemnation from congressional Democrats, who also questioned the timing.

— Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
When Diaconu first entered a business fundraising competition, people questioned whether repair as a business was scalable and durable.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of questioned

Verb

Beirut City Pop, the latest compilation by archival label Habibi Funk, tells the story of the artists who dared to imagine a life beyond war.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
To get her father and his siblings to offer answers to questions no one had ever dared ask in the past until Duong’s cameras rolled, an inventive hybrid documentary-narrative model was hatched for the film.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of dared

Verb

Jullien Harneis, the UN’s senior Ebola coordinator, said the outbreak’s expanding reach required more teams, coordination and logistical support.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The United States and China are the two economies that have invested at the scale required.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of required

Verb

Walking the ball up, waiting for play calls, playing on one side of the floor, one-pass shots that were contested, and then just leaving it to one shot.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
The waterway, which transported a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply before the war, has become heavily contested with attacks on ships ramping up in recent weeks.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of contested

Verb

Vellesiya Wiley has disputed that her friend, who was driving, headed toward the officers.

— Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
South African authorities have disputed some of those claims and said some deaths were related to criminal activity and not the protests.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of disputed

Verb

The board didn’t want a remote CEO Unlike the billionaires who left, Zuckerberg runs a company whose board wanted him in the building.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Tina said Tony helped bring a publisher to the Philippines, opening doors for artists who wanted to work with major comic book companies.

— Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of wanted

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challenge

challenged

challenger

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Style

“Challenged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenged. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of challenged

verb

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