double bind

noun

: a psychological predicament in which a person receives from a single source conflicting messages that allow no appropriate response to be made

broadly : dilemma sense 1

Synonyms

• catch-22
• dilemma
• quandary

Examples of double bind in a Sentence

the double bind faced by every politician: responding to scurrilous charges only gives them unwarranted publicity; not responding to such charges is often interpreted as an admission of guilt

Recent Examples on the Web

The double bind of healthcare and legal danger made my life in this country suffocating. —Literary Hub, 26 June 2025

In southern states like Georgia and Florida, tariff uncertainty has compounded ongoing climate risks, creating a double bind for producers navigating both economic and environmental volatility. —Artem Milinchuk, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Homebuyers now face a double bind: inflated prices and higher monthly payments. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025

After October 7th, the magazine found itself in an agonizing double bind. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for double bind

• countersigned
• disinclined
• humankind
• interlined
• intertwined
• mastermind
• misaligned
• nonaligned
• predefined
• realigned
• reassigned
• recombined

Medical Definition

double bind

noun

dou·​ble bind ˈdəb-əl-ˈbīnd 

: a psychological predicament in which a person receives from a single source conflicting messages that allow no appropriate response to be made