1
as in problem
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
faced with a dilemma of whether to risk continuing to drive in the dangerous storm or to give up searching for the lost dog and hope he survived
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with home prices in a free fall, sellers were in a terrible dilemma
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dilemma
For years, Mac users have faced something of a dilemma.
—
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
The drivers’ dilemma created an astounding 54 lead changes (smashing Bristol’s 1991 record of 40) and a jaw-dropping 3,589 total passes under green flag conditions (the new NASCAR record for a non-superspeedway).
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
That question becomes a major moral dilemma in the first official trailer for The Rip, the upcoming Netflix film in which Matt Damon and Ben Affleck play Miami Police Department officers who make a discovery of a lifetime during a stash house seizure.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dilemma
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
The drivers’ dilemma created an astounding 54 lead changes (smashing Bristol’s 1991 record of 40) and a jaw-dropping 3,589 total passes under green flag conditions (the new NASCAR record for a non-superspeedway).
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
That question becomes a major moral dilemma in the first official trailer for The Rip, the upcoming Netflix film in which Matt Damon and Ben Affleck play Miami Police Department officers who make a discovery of a lifetime during a stash house seizure.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dilemma
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilemma
Noun
-
Instead of predictive policing that reinforces existing biases, envision AI that helps communities understand and address root causes of social problems.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
But even the right approach to the right problem risks failure if not properly executed.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The city’s current trash predicament traces back to Measure B, a successful 2022 city ballot measure that ended the decades-long practice of San Diego providing no-fee trash service to single-family homes and many small townhome and apartment complexes.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Although Harold is not literary fiction’s first obsessive ruminator, what makes Muscle Man feel so plugged into the moment is how common the predicament feels.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Plenty of other challenges and ethical quandaries will arise in the meantime.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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That is a political quandary for the commissioner that seems not to be of concern for the players.—
Maury Brown,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Those lessons will have to come quickly, considering the season pickle the Chiefs have put themselves in.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Top with chicken mixture and pickle slices.—
Mary Claire Britton,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dilemma.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilemma. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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