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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catch-22
And yet, these counterattacks may be ensnaring scientists in a catch-22.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
Now, however, the situation is almost like a catch-22 in which everyone loses.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Indeed, the Oscar winner describes the catch-22 dance of needing to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild to get work, but also needing to have worked to be admitted into the Screen Actors Guild in the first place.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 24 June 2025
The catch-22 is that suiting up through the pain has probably decelerated the recovery process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
Now, however, the situation is almost like a catch-22 in which everyone loses.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Indeed, the Oscar winner describes the catch-22 dance of needing to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild to get work, but also needing to have worked to be admitted into the Screen Actors Guild in the first place.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 24 June 2025
The catch-22 is that suiting up through the pain has probably decelerated the recovery process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
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Providing fiber for digestion, there’s fresh broccoli along with antioxidants to help reduce the risk of certain cancers.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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MacLean added that Venezuelans with TPS who are currently in custody and lack any other form of protection will now face a serious risk of deportation.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the interstices of all that, at a bar one sweaty night, Wyeth meets Keating, a seminarian on a hiatus of sorts whose spiritual dilemma becomes imbricated in his own.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
But the committee faced a dilemma.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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No concerns are raised, and the scheme goes off without a hitch.—
Andrew Bernard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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The cozy farming simulator’s color visuals looked excellent, without a single performance hitch.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So, despite their predicament, these operators remain hopeful that circumstances will change soon enough, even if now the path is unclear.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Athletic Club are in a similar predicament.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This unit is engineered to avoid those pitfalls.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
29 Sep. 2025
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Not only are both movies about the pleasures and pitfalls of collaborative art-making; both also emerged from the labyrinth of Linklater’s own long-term creative relationships.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Fries, chicken, cut tomatoes and pickles were stored without covers.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The vegan sub includes vegan lunch meats and cheese and all the fixins, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, as the nonvegan version.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
However, there remain several potential snags.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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This isn't the first time the snag of a home run ball has topped headlines this season.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The lineup of fly fishing films features breathtaking locations, great catches and the stories behind them.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
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The answer against Florida and Missouri was McConkey, who had his two best games of the year, combining for 13 catches and 230 yards.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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