put to the test

verb

To test (something or someone); to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

“He got a new bicycle yesterday, so I expect that today he will want to take it out riding and put it to the test.”

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Meanings

verbput to the test (third-person singular simple present puts to the test, present participle putting to the test, simple past and past participle put to the test)

present singular third person puts to the test · participle present putting to the test

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo test (something or someone); to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.

    He got a new bicycle yesterday, so I expect that today he will want to take it out riding and put it to the test.

    1 more example

    They were put to the test when Mbappe put PSG ahead against the run of play but City then struck the perfect balance between chasing the game and keeping the door locked at the back.

    2021 November 24, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 2 - 1 Paris Saint Germain”, in BBC Sport

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
make trial of

Translations

Dutch toetsen
  • toetsentest or evaluate
Esperanto elprovi
  • elprovitest or evaluate
German auf die Probe stellen
  • auf die Probe stellentest or evaluate
Italian valutare, rivalutare
  • valutaretest or evaluate
  • rivalutaretest or evaluate
  • mettere alla provatest or evaluate
Latin perīclitor, experior
  • perīclitortest or evaluate
  • experiortest or evaluate
Spanish poner a prueba, poner a probatura
  • poner a pruebatest or evaluate
  • poner a probaturatest or evaluate
Swedish sätta på prov
  • sätta på provtest or evaluate
Cite this entry
APA

put to the test. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20to%20the%20test

MLA

“put to the test.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20to%20the%20test. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put to the test,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20to%20the%20test.

Source: put to the test on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.