quandary

noun quan·da·ry \ ˈkwän-d(ə-)rē \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: quandary in a Sentence

Definition of quandary

plural quandaries

: a state of perplexity or doubt

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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 of quandary from the Web

Sometimes a company like Philadelphia’s FMC Corp. can earn a high ESG score and a low GC score — presenting investors with a quandary.

— erin arvedlund, Philly.com, "We rank Philly companies on diversity, governance, & transparency. The winners may surprise you," 29 June 2018
The Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with a digital-age legal quandary: Can the U.S. government use a warrant to compel a U.S. company — in this case, Microsoft — to turn over data stored in a server overseas?

— Washington Post, "Supreme Court grapples with access to globalized data in U.S. investigations," 27 Feb. 2018
The phony-baloney nature of the rescissions, mostly aimed at on-paper authority to spend money that was not going to be spent, has created a political quandary for people in both parties.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "After Blowing Up the Deficit, House Passes Mostly Phony Spending Cuts," 8 June 2018
For those who can’t resist, how best to express one’s liberal views in Nashville is also a quandary.

— marissa r. moss, Billboard, "The Country Music Industry Is More Liberal Than It Lets On: Will More Start To Speak Up?," 5 June 2018
All of this presents a bit of a quandary for the Trump Administration, which has made saving coal jobs one of the cornerstones of its policy.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Energy Department Proposes Forcing Utilities to Buy Coal Power," 1 June 2018
Shaking off the stress of a monetary quandary is difficult, but wiping off a full face of makeup should always be this easy.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What June's Sagittarius Horoscope Means for You," 29 May 2018
And its the ethical issues that will persist, even if there are ultimately no legal quandaries.

— alana abramson, Time, "Here's How Essential Consultants Could Get Michael Cohen in Legal Trouble," 9 May 2018
This is a quandary only because the Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers last season.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "The Big Questions That Will Shape the NFL Draft," 26 Apr. 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.