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
Centennial Beach borders the billionaire’s under-construction mansion, whose lakefront area’s public access has become a thorny issue.
—
Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s because the studios are moving on to start bargaining with the Writers Guild on Monday, the guild that is usually the thorniest negotiation, before then moving on to the Directors Guild on May 11.
—Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides have addressed an array of subjects, but the thorniest one — as was the case during the 2023 strike — may be artificial intelligence.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
The film dives into thorny territory as Leticia develops a relationship with a man named Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) who, unbeknownst to her, was involved in the execution of her husband.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorny
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Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s because the studios are moving on to start bargaining with the Writers Guild on Monday, the guild that is usually the thorniest negotiation, before then moving on to the Directors Guild on May 11.
—Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
The two sides have addressed an array of subjects, but the thorniest one — as was the case during the 2023 strike — may be artificial intelligence.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
The film dives into thorny territory as Leticia develops a relationship with a man named Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) who, unbeknownst to her, was involved in the execution of her husband.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thorny
adjective
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness
noun
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