1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol
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2
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history
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3
as in problem
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catch-22
The hotel is only for guests 21 and older which is a bit of a catch-22.
—
Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
For employees, this creates a catch-22.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Trump is facing a catch-22 in the face of growing fissures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mounting departures of scientists and experts over vaccine policy.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
And yet, these counterattacks may be ensnaring scientists in a catch-22.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
For employees, this creates a catch-22.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Trump is facing a catch-22 in the face of growing fissures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mounting departures of scientists and experts over vaccine policy.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
And yet, these counterattacks may be ensnaring scientists in a catch-22.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
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March 21 – April 19 This morning invites playful risks that still feel safe.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in mitigating the risk of wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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For the present, we’re saddled with the unwieldy dilemma of there being eight major Democratic candidates and just two Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This led to serious concerns from some quarters, with science popularizer Michio Kaku among the leaders of the protests demanding the launch be scrubbed, but Cassini–Huygens' went ahead without a hitch, as have all the subsequent RTG missions.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Notably in 2011, the first deployment of the GCC’s Peninsula Shield Force to Bahrain, with Saudi and UAE forces entering the kingdom at the behest of the government, seemed to go off without a hitch.—
Hadley Gamble,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lee said financial pressure on cities has contributed to DART’s predicament this year, and simply moving money around won’t help.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Councilmember Kent Lee said this winter that the dire predicament facing the city’s Transportation Department should have been the centerpiece of the campaign for a 2024 ballot measure to raise the city’s sales tax.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But today, their company Lehman Brothers — which catastrophically collapsed in bankruptcy in 2008 — is remembered as a textbook case for the pitfalls of unchecked greed, corruption and moral bankruptcy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Others joked about the pitfalls of staying too close to home.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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Megan Thee Stallion is a genuine fan of the product — she was publicly spotted combining Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with actual pickles before any brand partnership existed.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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However, an endorsement touted posthumously by Stratton caused a snag as Jackson's family withdrew it Monday, saying the draft was not meant for public release.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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The leather was supple, the finishes clean, and the zipper for the bottom compartment glided without so much as a whisper of a snag.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Booker had 15 first-half points, scoring mainly off midrange pull-ups but also using catch-and-shoot jumpers and getting to the line against the Wolverines, who had no answer for the first Team All-SEC honoree.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
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Another catch under state law is that Chee was not required to then go and get the permits needed to operate at the local level after getting his state fireworks license.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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