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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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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'litmus test.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Litmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litmus%20test. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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