1
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quagmire
You’re allowed to want more, of course, but be wary of getting stuck in the quagmire of self-pity.
—
Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Reporter Brandon Lingle explored the regulatory quagmire at the site in one of this week's top stories.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Feb. 2026
The agents’ varied use of cameras on duty raises a potential legal quagmire on how to preserve or share footage of encounters – and even raises the possibility of agents manipulating footage, experts said.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
But these occupations soon became bloody quagmires, with hundreds of military and tens of thousands of civilian casualties.
—Mo Rocca, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Reporter Brandon Lingle explored the regulatory quagmire at the site in one of this week's top stories.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Feb. 2026
The agents’ varied use of cameras on duty raises a potential legal quagmire on how to preserve or share footage of encounters – and even raises the possibility of agents manipulating footage, experts said.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
But these occupations soon became bloody quagmires, with hundreds of military and tens of thousands of civilian casualties.
—Mo Rocca, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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Such has been the predicament in the powerful Central Division, where the NHL's siloed playoff format would pit the Stars against the Wild in the first round if the standings were to stay this way.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Indiana, like much of the nation, is facing a penny predicament.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In 2021, Gefen and her colleagues published research in the journal Cerebral Cortex showing that super-agers are resistant to neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles, which are abnormal protein buildups tied to Alzheimer’s.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
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The hippocampus of SuperAgers also has three times fewer tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To address that dilemma, the pediatric hospital implemented literacy screenings in about half of its 13 clinics, assigning a literacy coordinator to each.—
MAKIYA SEMINERA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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The staff union would likely have picketed the event, which would have created a dilemma for WGA members and unionized hotel staff who would have to cross a line to enter the building.—
William Earl,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Baylor had switched to a half-court trap style of defense that sped up the Horned Frogs and forced multiple turnovers.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Mar. 2026
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Studies show these traps are useful for scientists who are monitoring beetle activity, but not for controlling beetles in your garden.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s also a mouth-watering 10-ounce American wagyu skirt steak served with shishito peppers, pickles and charred carrots.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
It is traditionally topped with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and onions.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Texas public education is in a morass.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
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During the Holocaust, many Jews hid in the Białowieża Forest, constructing shelters from natural materials or hunkering down in swamps.—
Elizabeth Flock,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The best hope is that LaFleur did not impress Bidwill and GM Monti Ossenfort because of his coaching associations but with his ideas of how to get the organization out of competitive quicksand.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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The result is a sector doing critical, often life-saving work while operating on financial quicksand.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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