be challenged against

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be challenged against" is not correct and does not sound natural in written English.
It is unclear and may confuse readers, as "challenged" typically does not pair with "against" in this context. Example: "Students should be challenged against their own limits" would be better phrased as "Students should be challenged to exceed their own limits."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

"And this is an awesome opportunity for the players to be challenged against one of the top teams in the world".

The New York Times

Article 149(1) was amended to add Articles 11 and 12 to the list of fundamental liberties that the ISA cannot be challenged against, and to extend its immunizing effect to the 1989 ISA amendments.

Wikipedia

Coach Hue Jackson isn't certain when Gaines got hurt, but he called the loss "a tough blow" for Cleveland's defense, which will be challenged against the Buccaneers' pass-heavy attack.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

But Ofsted warned that sustaining this level of improvement would be challenging against the "backdrop of greater expectations following last summer's London Games".

BBC

Rats from both experimental groups were challenged against a single intraperitonial injection of phenylhydrazine (PHZ) (7.5 mg/kg body weight).

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

We investigated evolutionary connections between functional families and related evolutionary to functional connectivity; 24 enzymes from 15 distinct functional families were challenged against 10 catalytically distinct reactions.

Journal of Molecular Biology

I know that sounds really simple, but every decision I've made and every decision I've challenged my people on in the last eight years has been challenged against that matrix.

Forbes

As a control, a confrontation assay was conducted in which T. harzianum was challenged against itself.

BMC Genomics

Each tablet formulation was challenged against one of the strains tested.

BioMed Research International

A control confrontation assay was conducted following the same setup described above, except that T. harzianum was challenged against itself.

BMC Genomics

As a control, confrontation assays were conducted following the same procedure, except that T. harzianum was challenged against itself.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "be challenged against" in formal writing. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives like "be tested against" or "face challenges from".

Common error

The word 'against' typically denotes opposition or direction. When using 'challenged', it's more appropriate to use 'to' or 'by' to indicate the nature of the challenge. Instead of "be challenged against", consider "be challenged by" or "be challenged to".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be challenged against" is intended to describe a state of being confronted or tested. However, its grammatical structure is questionable. As Ludwig AI notes, it's not the most natural way to express this concept.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33.33%

News & Media

33.33%

Wiki

33.33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "be challenged against" is an infrequent and grammatically questionable construction, as Ludwig AI points out. While it appears across several contexts like news, science, and wikis, its usage isn't recommended due to better alternatives existing. The primary issue lies in the improper use of "against" with "challenged"; more appropriate options include "be challenged by" or "be tested against". To maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy, opting for these alternatives is always better. Related phrases focus on confrontation, competition, or assessment, differing in word choice and grammatical nuance. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid "be challenged against" in formal writing and choose clearer, more standard expressions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be tested against

Replaces "challenged" with "tested", focusing on evaluation and assessment rather than direct confrontation.

be pitted against

Uses "pitted" to emphasize a competitive or adversarial situation.

be set against

Focuses on establishing a contrast or opposition, rather than a direct challenge.

be matched against

Highlights a comparison or pairing in a competition or test scenario.

be compared to

Shifts the focus to evaluation through comparison rather than direct confrontation.

be measured against

Emphasizes assessing performance or characteristics against a standard.

be examined in relation to

Focuses on scrutinizing the subject’s behavior or impact in reference to a target.

be verified against

Changes the action to checking for truth or accuracy against a set of rules or data.

be checked for

Shifts the phrase to assessing whether a standard is matched, rather than setting to compare.

be evaluated for

Indicates appraising the value or quality, rather than the element of setting an opposition.

FAQs

What is a more grammatically correct alternative to "be challenged against"?

More appropriate alternatives include "be challenged by" or "be challenged to", depending on the intended meaning.

How can I use "be challenged by" in a sentence?

You can use "be challenged by" to indicate that someone or something is presented with difficulties or obstacles. For example, "The team will be challenged by the opposing team's strong defense".

Is "be challenged against" considered formal or informal language?

Because the phrase is not grammatically correct, it is not suitable for formal language. Use "be challenged by" or "be tested against" instead.

What does it mean when something or someone is "challenged"?

When something or someone is "challenged", it means they are confronted with a difficult task, a test of their abilities, or an opposing force. It implies a situation requiring effort, skill, or resilience to overcome.