pickle

noun

ˈpi-kəl How to pronounce pickle (audio)
Definition of picklenext
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape well, this is a bit of a pickle we've gotten ourselves into

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pickle Vegans can also get in on the fun combinations; the Big Mack is loaded with Impossible Burger, vegan mozzarella and Thousand Island dressing, pickles, white onion, iceberg lettuce and sesame seeds. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 18 Aug. 2026 This is the ideal cut for stir-fries, ratatouille, or zucchini pickles. — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2026 That resulted in a pickle, and Lombard becoming the second out of the inning. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 Allen, the runner on second, bolted for third and found himself in a pickle when Adames threw to third baseman Christian Koss. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pickle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pickle
  1. predicament
  2. dilemma
  3. hole
  4. bind
  5. swamp
  6. jam
Noun
  • Cambodia's predicament shows that dangers remain even when fighting ends.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And Mitchell doesn't waste any time making the life-or-death stakes of the Platts' predicament abundantly clear.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of predicament
Noun
  • This creates a dilemma for submitters, who must decide whether to use AI to write or rewrite their materials to gain an advantage, despite rules against it.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • While synthetic alternatives solve the ethical dilemma, many of them are plastic-based and very difficult to recycle.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilemma
Noun
  • There is a lot to like about the Reds, but there are also some glaring holes.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The result was the equivalent of an X-ray of the subsurface extending roughly 300 feet underground, without drilling a single hole.
    — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • The Hightower high lord and his armies have occupied Tumbleton and have Rhaenyra in something of a bind.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • States cannot file for bankruptcy, leaving the Prairie State in an unusually tight bind.
    — Gregory Kearney, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of bind
Noun
  • The half moons on the crawfish's back and their spotty claws identify the red swamp crawfish.
    — Elle Meyers, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • After that, the Guadalquivir River ecosystem saw a huge overhaul as the swamp crayfish carried Aphanomyces astaci.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • Padres closer Mason Miller allowed two baserunners and barely escaped a ninth-inning jam while facing his hometown team on his 28th birthday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • As on the age-old original, the first half of the six-minute track was sweeping in its use of orchestral augmentation, and then the second half put aside both strings and vocals to turn into a pure band jam.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam

Browse Nearby Words

picking up on
pickle
pickled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pickle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pickle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pickle

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