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
Relevance
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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During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025 -
If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Those on the conference call would likely face very human dilemmas, and that might lead them to deviate from the rules, added Erin Dumbacher, an expert in nuclear policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
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For the creation of wonderful characters and a story that feels spontaneous yet precise in its depiction of power, its moral dilemmas, and the absurd contradictions with the human condition.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ancelotti had great success in managing Vinicius Jr, who is now having problems with Alonso.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Ciri’s problems, unfortunately, are rooted in the present.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Twelve of the 20 indicators for the health risks and impacts of climate change in the report set concerning new records—showing that the health impacts caused by our changing climate have reached unprecedented levels that cannot be ignored.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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No matter what happens at their meeting, China’s ambitions will still pose the same long-term risks to American interests, American allies, and American power.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Duffers add that one of the key inspirations for this season is Home Alone—specifically the booby traps.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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For a novice member of the field, the coolest details of the event doubled as booby traps.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The issue is how to inject capital without falling prey to some of the pitfalls of aid dependency.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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To some extent, these pitfalls are unavoidable.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Morrell, a former BP exec who was appointed by former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, departed after a series of snags that ultimately doomed Chapek’s tenure as CEO.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
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However, there remain several potential snags.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The former Steelers malcontent came up huge when CeeDee Lamb went down with injury, with 43 catches for 685 yards and six TDs.—
Kevin Cusick,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
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Sac State receiver Ernest Campbell had a career-best nine catches for a career-best 206 yards against Montana, and the Texas A&M transfer set the Sac State single-season mark for most receptions of at least 50 yards, including TDs of 75, 62, 67, 50 and 63 yards.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 2025.
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