Tough time

The answer

ORDEAL

6 letters. See every clue for this answer on the ORDEAL answer page.

Used 10 times across 9 distinct years; most recently in 2025; first recorded in 1996. It appears in 7 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other answers for this clue

The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this collection link to their own answer page.

• HARDSHIP (2 uses in xd)
• TRIAL (2 uses in xd)
• BUMPYRIDE (1 uses in xd)

Other clues for ORDEAL

Every other clue in this collection answered by ORDEAL, most used first.

• Trying experience - used 48 times, most recently in 2025
• Trial - used 28 times, most recently in 2020
• Difficult experience - used 19 times, most recently in 2026
• Severe trial - used 15 times, most recently in 2025
• Trying time - used 15 times, most recently in 2024
• Harrowing experience - used 9 times, most recently in 2018
• Grueling experience - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Tribulation - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Difficult trial - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Rough time - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Severe test - used 6 times, most recently in 2013

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• Pass, as time - ELAPSE, used 82 times
• Go by, as time - ELAPSE, used 70 times
• For the time being - PROTEM, used 46 times
• "It's about time!" - ATLAST, used 45 times
• "Take your time" - NORUSH, used 40 times
• Change over time - EVOLVE, used 35 times

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