mettle

Some Olympic hopefuls have been competing in recent weeks, but many others have been waiting — training alone or with their teammates, itching to start testing their mettle with the Winter Games just around the corner.

With the men’s college basketball season less than a week old, the Maryland Terrapins had yet to face a tricky predicament, a situation that truly tested their mettle and ability.

But will it keep women of talent and substance and mettle and ambition from gunning it forward?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his mettle in polar extremes far outstrips his writing ability.

If their corner does not have the lights to see what is in the offing, then the boxer has to have the mettle to say “enough.”

Perhaps to prove its literary mettle, A Time to Kill, at first, sold only modestly (it has since sold fifteen million copies).

The presidency subjects American incumbents to perennial gut checks, testing their mettle.

From there on Piegan set a pace that taxed our horses' mettle—that was one consolation—we were well mounted.

The cook, placed upon her mettle, served a delicious repast—a luscious tenderloin broiled a point.

Unfortunate Dabbler, now upon his mettle, declared that "should he ever want satisfaction, his solicitor should get it for him."

They presented a fine picture of eager, determined young manhood, clean and healthy, and full of life and mettle.

He was burning for a fight, and thought that if he could get down the river he might give the British a taste of his mettle.