becoming challenging

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "becoming challenging" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or task that is increasingly difficult over time. Example: "As the project progressed, the requirements were becoming challenging to meet within the deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

"It was becoming challenging to try to nationalize the Ryan budget, and Mitt Romney just handed that to us".

The New York Times

Analysis of the safety and reliability of complex engineering systems is becoming challenging and highly demanding.

Chemical Engineering Research and Design

With the increasing complexity of the hazardous process operation, potential accident modelling is becoming challenging.

Process Safety and Environmental Protection

Social media advancements and the rapid increase in volume and complexity of data generated by Internet services are becoming challenging not only technologically, but also in terms of application areas.

Procedia Computer Science

"It was becoming challenging, commercially, for us," Morden says.

The Guardian

However, monitoring at large scales is not feasible and therefore model applications are becoming challenging, especially when spatially distributed datasets, such as evapotranspiration, are needed to understand the model performances.

Journal of Hydrology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

This, in today's climate, is becoming increasingly challenging.

The Guardian

Logistics is a tough business for anyone, and is becoming more challenging.

The Guardian

The only certainty in Silicon Valley is that survival is quickly becoming more challenging.

The New York Times - Tech

"It's becoming increasingly challenging for us to find talent in the markets we're opening up in," he said.

The New York Times

Denise Hatton, the chief executive of YMCA England, said: "It is becoming increasingly challenging for individuals to find somewhere to move on to after supported accommodation.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "becoming challenging", ensure the context clearly indicates what is becoming more difficult and why. For example, specify if it's a task, situation, or relationship that is presenting increased difficulty.

Common error

Avoid using "becoming challenging" as a generic phrase without providing specific details about the nature of the challenge. Be descriptive about how something is becoming more challenging. Generic statements can lack impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "becoming challenging" functions as a predicate adjective, describing the state of a subject as it transitions into being more difficult. Ludwig AI showcases this in various contexts, indicating its versatility in expressing escalating difficulty.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

58%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "becoming challenging" effectively conveys the idea of increasing difficulty, as validated by Ludwig AI. Its usage is grammatically correct and spans across diverse contexts, predominantly in news, scientific and formal business domains. While alternatives like "increasingly difficult" or "growing more complex" exist, "becoming challenging" maintains a neutral yet professional tone. The best practice is to always provide context to clarify the specific challenge, while the most common error involves overuse without sufficient detail.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

increasingly difficult

Emphasizes the gradual increase in difficulty over time.

progressively harder

Similar to "increasingly difficult" but with a slightly different emphasis.

growing more complex

Focuses on the rise in complexity rather than difficulty.

presenting difficulties

Highlights the existence of challenges but not necessarily their increase.

posing problems

Indicates the creation of obstacles or issues.

getting harder

A more informal way to express increasing difficulty.

turning problematic

Suggests a shift toward being troublesome or difficult.

evolving into a challenge

Highlights the transformation of a situation into a challenge.

starting to strain

Indicates that something is beginning to feel challenging.

on a steep learning curve

Suggests difficulties due to new knowledge to be acquired, rather than just overall difficulty.

FAQs

What does "becoming challenging" mean?

The phrase "becoming challenging" describes a situation, task, or process that is progressively increasing in difficulty or complexity.

How can I use "becoming challenging" in a sentence?

You might say, "As the project progressed, the tasks were "becoming challenging" to complete on time" or "With the increasing number of competitors, maintaining market share is "becoming challenging"".

What are some alternatives to "becoming challenging"?

Alternatives include "increasingly difficult", "growing more complex", or "presenting difficulties" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "becoming challenging" or "becoming more challenging"?

Both "becoming challenging" and "becoming more challenging" are grammatically correct and generally interchangeable. The addition of "more" simply emphasizes the increasing degree of difficulty.