gantlet. gauntlet. gamut

Thank you to the Wall Street Journal’s always-interesting “Style and Substance” column for clarifying the following nuance:

You run the gantlet, not the gauntlet.

A gantlet is a literal or figurative flogging ordeal. “The politician ran a gantlet of criticism for his immigration policy.”

A gauntlet is a medieval glove thrown down to issue a challenge. If you “take up the gauntlet,” you accept the challenge. If you “throw down the gauntlet,” you pick a fight.

A gamut is a complete range or extent. “The film library contained the gamut of genres from classics to children’s movies.”