quandary

noun

quan·da·ry | \ ˈkwän-d(ə-)rē

plural quandaries

Definition of quandary

: a state of perplexity or doubt

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about quandary

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Examples of quandary in a Sentence

Williams's quandary is not unlike that faced by other urban executives who have had to wrestle with a deeply rooted power structure. The problem is especially acute for African American mayors. They are expected to serve as sentries, protecting their cities' black communities and staving off so-called white encroachment. — Jonetta Rose Barras, Washington Post, 15 June 2003 For a sticky philosophical quandary, the questions are pretty simple: am I a clerk charged with selling college degrees or am I involved in a more meaningful experience? Part of me says that no argument is more worthy of my attention. — Lynne Drury Lerych, Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2001 … the inevitable economic quandary that faces a people in the transition from slavery to freedom, and especially those who make that change amid hate and prejudice, lawlessness and ruthless competition. — W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903 The unexpected results of the test have created a quandary for researchers. I'm in a quandary about whether I should try to repair my stereo or buy a new one, even though I don't have the money to do either.

Recent Examples on the Web

The differences between chimpanzees and bonobos have long been a quandary for anthropologists. — John Hawks, WSJ, "‘The Goodness Paradox’ Review: The Benefits of Good Breeding," 25 Jan. 2019 Even if prices remain around $60 a barrel, executives face a quandary. — Sarah Kent, WSJ, "Falling Crude Prices Test Big Oil’s New Financial Discipline," 29 Nov. 2018 Establishing some policies to keep accounts open during an investigation is one way to deal with the quandary. — Mara Lemos Stein, WSJ, "Banks’ Sharing of Financial Crime Data Raises Questions on Ethics," 10 Sep. 2018 Apple appears to be avoiding this particular legal quandary. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Apple blocks its gay pride watch face in Russia," 31 Aug. 2018 This quandary is all the more unsettling because its object happens to be the body of a pregnant woman. — New York Times, "In Knausgaard’s ‘Spring,’ a Man Considers How Best to Help His Sick Wife," 6 July 2018 That’s because Halloween is obviously the best holiday of the year, which leaves me in a bit of a quandary for November. — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, "Everything coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now in November," 28 Oct. 2018 Expect to deal with warring factions, difficult moral quandaries, and hard choices over what gear to wear. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "The 40 games we can’t wait to play in 2019," 26 Dec. 2018 The Trump era has changed that, and exposed a real philosophical quandary: What do institutions dedicated to protecting an open society do when faced with the forces of illiberalism? — Nicole Hemmer, Vox, "Ex-Trump staffers should not get plum jobs at elite universities," 24 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quandary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.