thornier; thorniest
thorniness
noun
Examples of thorny in a Sentence
stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
Join Our Other Game Discussions Want to be part of the conversation about New York Times Games, or maybe get some help with a particularly thorny puzzle?
—
Sam Corbin, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
Freeway closure and snarled traffic pose a fresh political test for Mayor Bass
The closure of a vital piece of civic infrastructure presents a new, potentially thorny challenge for Mayor Karen Bass.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The advent of the child-influencer economy, with its lack of regulation and thorny ethical questions about consent, is particularly fraught.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2023
Debates over immigration will likely be the most thorny as Republicans seek to bolster enforcement.
—TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Endeavors toward interplanetary colonization also bring up thorny ethical issues that most space optimists haven't fully grappled with.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Before those launchers can be rooted out, there is a crucial need for even more granular intelligence to solve a thorny prob- lem.
—Dan Senor, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2023
Among the thorniest remaining questions is whether fuel will be allowed on the trucks.
—Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
But for me, there’s no bigger barrier than the thorny interpersonal politics of who drives where.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
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Sam Corbin, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
Freeway closure and snarled traffic pose a fresh political test for Mayor Bass
The closure of a vital piece of civic infrastructure presents a new, potentially thorny challenge for Mayor Karen Bass.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The advent of the child-influencer economy, with its lack of regulation and thorny ethical questions about consent, is particularly fraught.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2023
Debates over immigration will likely be the most thorny as Republicans seek to bolster enforcement.
—TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Endeavors toward interplanetary colonization also bring up thorny ethical issues that most space optimists haven't fully grappled with.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Before those launchers can be rooted out, there is a crucial need for even more granular intelligence to solve a thorny prob- lem.
—Dan Senor, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2023
Among the thorniest remaining questions is whether fuel will be allowed on the trucks.
—Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
But for me, there’s no bigger barrier than the thorny interpersonal politics of who drives where.
—Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thorny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of thorny was
before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near thorny
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
thorny
adjective
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on thorny
Nglish: Translation of thorny for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of thorny for Arabic Speakers
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