as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with both sets of in-laws insisting that we spend Thanksgiving with them, we were on a sticky wicket indeed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 sticky wicket
Of philosophy’s many sticky wickets, consciousness is perhaps the most perplexing.
—
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wicket
Noun
-
That means having to resolve a strategic dilemma in China.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Chase Infiniti’s breakout performance has generated significant word-of-mouth but positioning her in lead leaves more room for co-stars Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall in supporting roles, and less of a chance of a classic vote-splitting dilemma that has derailed campaigns in the past.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Pakistan Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said his nation was hoping for more of a consensus going into Tuesday’s vote given the funding predicaments and operational issues that have dogged the MSS.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
On Tuesday afternoon, Click’s successor sat in a similar predicament.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Blind Butcher Shoppe is a favorite spot for locals hoping to bring home dinner, but their selection of artisanal pantry items like pickles, preserves, and more are worth checking out for those looking to bring an edible souvenir home.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Whether the pickle pandemonium is a fad or not, pickles are delicious – and my chicken salad celebrates them in all their bold, sour, crunchy glory.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Subscribe now Over the summer, it was widely reported that Reeves was considering a bank windfall tax to shore up a multibillion-pound hole in the public finances.—
Hugh Leask,Chloe Taylor,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Perhaps Gad will fill a furry hole in the heart of the film.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tylenol and the pressure to 'tough it out' Medical experts and scholars worry that the recent claims about Tylenol put pregnant women and families in a difficult bind.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Kimmel show pause Disney's own stars also began to voice dissent, presenting a bind for a company that relies on big names to promote its signature franchises.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Go down the very well-to-do rabbit hole of James Thurstan Waterworth, formerly Soho House’s design director, by opting for The Nest (Room 3).—
Chloe Frost-Smith,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
-
But who’s to say how far down the rabbit hole of local politics the game is willing to go?—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Timm’s garden is a milkweed buffet with seven different kinds planted throughout, like swamp, ice ballet, cinderella, prairie, poke, common and butterfly milkweed.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
For the first time in 10 years, researchers have discovered a new species of Xenurolebias killifish from an isolated swamp about 2 feet deep in eastern Brazil.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sticky wicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wicket. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share