thornier; thorniest
thorniness
noun
Examples of thorny in a Sentence
stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
Real 19th-century cowpokes typically dressed in heavy canvas trousers, bowlers and wore rawhide chaps as armor against thorny vegetation and the general filth of the job.
—
Guy Trebay, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
But the fact that stars are only granted to restaurants in several Florida cities also points to a thorny dynamic: Michelin’s expansion into new cities is often fueled by tourism departments that can pay hefty sums of money to support the guide's coverage.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
These gloves have a puncture-resistant padded palm and fingertips to protect your hands while handling thorny yard debris.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But according to local experts, the thorny issue is more complex and clearly remains unresolved in Italy, making this case a potential local landmark.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Webb returned to the same formula in the seventh to escape his thorniest jam, generating back-to-back ground balls — one that Nick Ahmed shoveled for a force out at second and another picked by Chapman — after allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
Lue works for a nonprofit that helps Baltimore renters navigate thorny housing issues, including evictions, and said past administrations have not paid enough attention to housing issues.
—Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
What had been a binding decision on the merits of a thorny issue was swept away.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2024
Patel’s revenge film exists between these two extremes, with contradictory optics stemming from images whose creation is well-intended, but whose meaning grows more incongruous and disconcerting as the current events of India’s thorny political climate fades into view.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Guy Trebay, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
But the fact that stars are only granted to restaurants in several Florida cities also points to a thorny dynamic: Michelin’s expansion into new cities is often fueled by tourism departments that can pay hefty sums of money to support the guide's coverage.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024
These gloves have a puncture-resistant padded palm and fingertips to protect your hands while handling thorny yard debris.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But according to local experts, the thorny issue is more complex and clearly remains unresolved in Italy, making this case a potential local landmark.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Webb returned to the same formula in the seventh to escape his thorniest jam, generating back-to-back ground balls — one that Nick Ahmed shoveled for a force out at second and another picked by Chapman — after allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
Lue works for a nonprofit that helps Baltimore renters navigate thorny housing issues, including evictions, and said past administrations have not paid enough attention to housing issues.
—Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
What had been a binding decision on the merits of a thorny issue was swept away.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2024
Patel’s revenge film exists between these two extremes, with contradictory optics stemming from images whose creation is well-intended, but whose meaning grows more incongruous and disconcerting as the current events of India’s thorny political climate fades into view.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thorny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thorny
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thorny
adjective
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness
noun
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