Synonyms of catch-22

catch-22

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pitfall
• risk
• gotcha
• hitch
• snag
• kicker
• gimmick
• catch
• land mine
• booby trap
• joker
• trap
• hazard
• trip wire
• peril
• snare
• web
• surprise
• bait
• bombshell
• bomb
• decoy
• lure
• surprize

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dilemma
• predicament
• pickle
• hole
• quagmire
• bind
• swamp
• impasse
• difficulty
• jam
• corner
• crisis
• fix
• box
• mire
• sticky wicket
• spot
• quandary
• rattrap
• rabbit hole
• jackpot
• kettle of fish
• plight
• trouble
• hot water
• logjam
• deadlock
• soup
• node
• stalemate
• emergency
• pinch
• standstill
• exigency
• crossroad
• strait
• halt
• juncture
• clutch
• scrape

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dilemma
• problem
• quandary
• impasse
• predicament
• deadlock
• stalemate
• quagmire
• double bind
• difficulty
• pickle
• standoff
• plight
• bind
• jam
• fix
• pinch
• spot
• knot
• hole

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breeze
• cinch
• duck soup
• snap

• breeze
• cinch
• duck soup
• snap

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