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
The future Astronomical observatories on the far side of the Moon face a bit of a catch-22.
—
ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Really, this is the catch-22 at the heart of the modern celebrity CEO and social media.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But there’s radio silence on how working ATCs are supposed to solve the catch-22 of freeing up time to train with no increase in staffing levels.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In a catch-22, until the company is able to reduce its coal dependency, analysts expect its performance in the short- to medium-term to continue being dictated by coal-price movement.
—Phisanu Phromchanya, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Really, this is the catch-22 at the heart of the modern celebrity CEO and social media.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But there’s radio silence on how working ATCs are supposed to solve the catch-22 of freeing up time to train with no increase in staffing levels.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In a catch-22, until the company is able to reduce its coal dependency, analysts expect its performance in the short- to medium-term to continue being dictated by coal-price movement.
—Phisanu Phromchanya, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
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There was also a high risk of severe weather issued the afternoon of Sunday, May 18 for parts of Oklahoma and Kansas.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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However, those with a history of heart disease, diabetes, or other conditions that increase their risk of cardiovascular disease may have lower LDL targets.—
Paul McClure
May 18,
New Atlas,
18 May 2025
Noun
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The National Women’s Soccer League, which raised its media rights fees nearly 60 times over with a series of deals that kicked off in 2024, finds itself in a similar dilemma.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., avoided addressing the dilemma with reporters on Wednesday.—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Her four-hour surgery went off without a hitch, and her recovery did as well.—
Hedy Phillips,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
New piece Karl-Anthony Towns replaced Randle without a hitch, and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart bring that Villanova toughness and skill to both sides of the ball.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Fey lays out a number of ways to deal with this predicament.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
9 May 2025
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So their only way out of this predicament is also the hardest — trading the star who elevated the team for a decade.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
Noun
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Engage in activities that require focused attention and deep processing to maintain cognitive fitness and avoid the pitfalls of cognitive offloading.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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To me, part of the theme of the season was, like, struggling for success, and then the sometimes pitfalls of achieving it, and this is an illustration, obviously, of one of those.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
The salt, fat and juice smother the pickles and mustard, snuffing out the vinegar and tang.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
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At one point during the game, Ottawa had packets of mustard and pickle juice on the bench, according to rinkside reporter Kelly Greig.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Noun
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Both cars should be significantly cheaper than the Jaguar, though Trump’s tariffs have created a snag with the Zeekr.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
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Adorable footage from Jaylon Beasley shows the moment his three-year-old son caught the fish all by himself after feeling a snag on the line.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Happ, considered day-to-day, played catch and was scheduled to hit Sunday.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2025
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But Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran made a sliding catch of Maikel Garcia’s line drive and Mark Canna popped out to end the game.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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