variants
or catch-22s
1
as in land mines
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
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2
as in dilemmas
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
3
as in problems
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22's
Noun
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There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025 -
The ninth inning revealed other land mines.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The dilemmas of post-revolutionary life—in particular, the gap between fulsome propaganda and flawed realities—were efficiently captured, as usual, in the popular genre known as the anekdot.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In the plot, a fictional president of Italy faces moral and ethical dilemmas.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There are still problems on defense.—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
3 Oct. 2025
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The path forward But whoever wins, securing the party leadership is just the first step – and a host of problems await.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the risks, Democratic strategists like James Carville believe the party is better positioned politically, noting that Republicans control both the House and the Senate, as well as the White House.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Powell said a sharp cooldown of hiring over the summer had shifted the balance of risks toward greater concern over the labor market rather than inflation.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Specialized teams were called to the scene to defuse booby traps in the residential building, city police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Specialized teams were called to the scene to defuse booby traps in the building, police said.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This unit is engineered to avoid those pitfalls.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
29 Sep. 2025
-
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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Developers have yet to break ground, while people familiar with the matter in the UAE, Nairobi, and Washington catalog problems with the project, extending from grand geopolitics to quotidian financial snags.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
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That could provide a backup plan if the state charges hit snags, said Cassell, echoing another famous Utah case.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With 17 receptions through four games, Fannin joins Warren as the only rookie tight ends with more than a dozen catches.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Last year, with Surtain as the nearest defender, Chase had three catches for 27.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Catch-22's.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22%27s. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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