catch-22

1
as in pitfall
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
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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Cite this Entry

“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

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