variants
or catch-22s
1
as in risks
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
-
The phrase was originally associated with Sutskever, who used it to caution his colleagues about the risks of artificial general intelligence—the threshold at which machines match human cognitive capacities.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026 -
Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel as well as other oils stored onboard the ship had been removed by Monday, diminishing environmental risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every interaction and plot twist in Jury Duty is carefully orchestrated to steer its unwitting star through a series of low-stakes moral dilemmas while hidden cameras capture his reactions.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Such local sites focus on a small group of people who happened to live in a certain place at a certain time—and who, for that fleeting moment, came to stand in for the dilemmas of the nation at large.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Journeys that used to take entire seasons were being covered in single episodes, characters survived predicaments that once meant surefire death, and previously relevant factors like supplies, infrastructure, and alliances no longer mattered.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Victorian novels made good use of the predicaments of second and third sons, who had to become ministers or soldiers or schemers, and daughters who needed to be married off according to age.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Areas are roped off and dotted with signs warning of land mines, a hazard Cambodians know well after decades of civil war that ended in the late 1990.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
At least 57 nations have live antipersonnel land mines in their territories.—
Sagar Lekhak,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Over the decades, children have given up everything from sunflower seeds to pickles.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
-
With about 100 vendors, there is a little bit of everything here, from jewelry to pickles and hot sauce to collectible items like coins and comic books.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the days leading up to the attack, Ghazali allegedly rigged his truck with booby traps, fireworks, explosives, and large amounts of gasoline.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nelly Korda birdied her final two holes to shoot a 69 to move to 5 under and in second place, setting up a final pairing of friendly rivals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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These small black beetles chew holes in leaves and stunt the plants.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
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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 11 Apr. 2026.
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