1
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
a prickly issue that will outrage at least one special interest if not handled delicately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prickly
Bromelias — prickly and shiny and smooth.
—
Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The environment can get prickly.
—Bryan Price, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Properly constructed, a Martinez is plush with Italian vermouth but still prickly with gin, enjoying the diamond-clarity of a Martini but with the silken luxuriousness of a Manhattan.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Beleaguered American chipmaker Intel is finding itself in slightly less prickly situations lately.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The environment can get prickly.
—Bryan Price, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Properly constructed, a Martinez is plush with Italian vermouth but still prickly with gin, enjoying the diamond-clarity of a Martini but with the silken luxuriousness of a Manhattan.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Beleaguered American chipmaker Intel is finding itself in slightly less prickly situations lately.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
-
Formulated in Korea with natural, non-irritating ingredients suitable for sensitive skin, the face masks are the first example, infusing hydrating and calming ingredients such as Vitamin B12 and aloe.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Some viewers find her impulsiveness more irritating than endearing.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Wading into the thorny issue of Taiwan’s defense has gotten other world leaders in hot water with Beijing before.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Even less thorny issues on Capitol Hill don’t seem to be enticing the president these days.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Search for answers continues following UPS plane crash As the community in Louisville, Kentucky, mourns those killed in a fiery United Parcel Service cargo plane crash, authorities warned that answers for family members may still be a way off.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it, confronting family, identity, and a relationship that becomes life-or-death.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Rose now realizes the smeared, dark, jagged edges are an abstract human.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
All the shadows and jagged angles evoke German Expressionism, distorting Ronnie’s confrontation into something both surreal and terrifyingly recognizable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This includes women with estrogen sensitive breast or uterine cancer, and women who are at high risk for or have had a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or pulmonary embolism.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
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In insulin resistance, the body's cells become less sensitive to insulin, which leads to higher blood sugar levels.—
Leigh Weddle,
Verywell Health,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
When the air turns crisp in fall and winter, the dryness indoors can sneak up on you — and so can flaky skin, a scratchy throat, and stuffy sinuses (not to mention allergens).—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Linen can sometimes lean scratchy and wrinkly, but the texture felt just right for wearing inside or outside the house.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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