1
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
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Recent Examples of quagmire
But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But if the war turns into an exhausting quagmire, China could gain the upper hand over the United States in the long term.
—Craig Singleton, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2026
There has been plenty of rightful crowing about the quagmire that is college athletics, most of it directly traceable to the money – the death of senior night, overrecruiting, tampering, transferring and what can only be described as a nearly uncrossable chasm between the haves and have nots.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Will Trump’s growing flirtations with American boots on the ground risk a quagmire that will swallow American lives and souls similar to the experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq?
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But if the war turns into an exhausting quagmire, China could gain the upper hand over the United States in the long term.
—Craig Singleton, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2026
There has been plenty of rightful crowing about the quagmire that is college athletics, most of it directly traceable to the money – the death of senior night, overrecruiting, tampering, transferring and what can only be described as a nearly uncrossable chasm between the haves and have nots.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Will Trump’s growing flirtations with American boots on the ground risk a quagmire that will swallow American lives and souls similar to the experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq?
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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Lee said financial pressure on cities has contributed to DART’s predicament this year, and simply moving money around won’t help.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Councilmember Kent Lee said this winter that the dire predicament facing the city’s Transportation Department should have been the centerpiece of the campaign for a 2024 ballot measure to raise the city’s sales tax.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But every week could bring a new philosophical-technical tangle.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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Florida’s chances of winning a mid-January game at Vanderbilt were slipping when video coordinator Nolan Crist spotted an on-court tangle.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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For the present, we’re saddled with the unwieldy dilemma of there being eight major Democratic candidates and just two Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And so many people back then were in a trap.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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These torons act as microscopic traps for light.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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A little girl who loved green aliens, drinking pickle juice and picking buttercups in the field with her mom.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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Megan Thee Stallion is a genuine fan of the product — she was publicly spotted combining Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with actual pickles before any brand partnership existed.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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And that concludes our journey through the morass.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All seagrasses descend from a group of flowering plants that includes the arums and water plantains, many of which grow in swamps or along streams.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
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During a livestream of an airboat tour of a Florida swamp, Peters and a friend repeatedly fired handguns at an alligator.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For anyone who wants the contouring feel of memory foam without the full quicksand effect, the Saatva Loom & Leaf makes a strong case.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
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The National Park Service issued a warning about the presence of hazardous quicksand areas near the shoreline and at drainages in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which spans across both Arizona and Utah.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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