1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol
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2
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history
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3
as in problem
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catch-22
This is to some extent a consequence of how quickly the government had to act in the face of that emergency, a catch-22 between ensuring that the money would be going to actually help people who needed it and having to get billions out the door at lightning-speed.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
If the original idea behind streaming music was empowering artists and creating a digital hub of all music, this current era offers a newfangled catch-22.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
The hotel is only for guests 21 and older which is a bit of a catch-22.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
For employees, this creates a catch-22.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
If the original idea behind streaming music was empowering artists and creating a digital hub of all music, this current era offers a newfangled catch-22.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
The hotel is only for guests 21 and older which is a bit of a catch-22.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
For employees, this creates a catch-22.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
-
The conflict in the Middle East has posed a severe risk to the Indian economy, as energy supply disruptions have inflated the country's import bill, piling pressure on the rupee that has already been hit by record foreign investor outflows.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
The resulting harm and risks fall on everyone whose lives are shaped by AI systems.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Barragán originally set out to find the man who scammed his mother by posing as a handsome American soldier, but now interrogates four of these young men, illuminating their psychological tactics, economic hardships and moral dilemmas.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
This is not a new dilemma for football fans.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Legal glitches and hitches will eventually be found when AI laws are passed without suitable scrutiny and analysis.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
But the gathering goes off without a hitch, and Whitaker, 27, is ready to spill on everything she’s currently obsessed with.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The struggling are blamed for their own predicament.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
But the pullback reflected a broader strategic predicament.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The Bruins’ success in the batter’s box also has helped raise the tide of a team that could’ve fallen into many pitfalls.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Even then, the finale’s other and perhaps more glaring pitfall is an uneven perspective.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
At Miznon, fresh pita is filled with a falafel burger, tangy pickles, tomato, sour cream, and green chili peppers.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Most varieties make crisp, firm pickles when picked at about 4 inches long.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
But the plan to send US citizens to Kenya has hit a snag, and officials are still scrambling to find other countries that might take them.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
Amazon's satellite ambitions hit a potential snag after Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night during a launch test at Cape Canaveral, Florida.—
Paulina Likos,Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Even the fish is line-caught by local fishermen who are able to provide the freshest catches to the hotel regularly for ceviches or grilling.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Brown had four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns for his first multi-touchdown game since Week 8 of the 2023 season.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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