CATCH-22S Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

catch-22's

noun

variants or catch-22s

plural of catch-22

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

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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

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 risks can be even greater if storm surge combines with high tide, which could quickly create a catastrophic rise in water levels.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
While long-term remediation may require substantial investment and specialist expertise, immediate interventions can reduce risks while more complex work is being completed.

— Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of risks

Noun

But strains at the top of the organization over its brand and direction reflect many premium news outlets’ dilemmas about survival and profit in a post-traffic, AI-ascendant media age.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
That’s just a small part of the ethical dilemmas taking place in the high school sports world.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilemmas

Noun

That type of physicality can come in handy on plays like quick hitches, screens, drags run over the middle of the field.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
The process had a few hitches in it caused by the divorce, but the Swopes showed up regularly at their immigration meetings as scheduled, working through the long process.

— Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 12 July 2026

Definition of hitches

Noun

On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of predicaments

Noun

His Minderoo Foundation—named for the cattle ranch of his childhood—has since given about $28 million to Ukraine’s schools and agricultural projects, and to clearing land mines.

— Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Since the wars ended, land mines and unexploded ordnance have killed approximately 90,000 people and wounded almost twice as many across the three countries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of land mines

Noun

Her sister Judith can grow huge pumpkins, her twin brother Sammy can heal ailing plants, and her Auntie Dee makes pickles that can predict the future.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Dill is a favorite of cooks who love adding its bright flavor to everything from potato salad to pickles.

— Heather Bien, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of pickles

Noun

But first, Roy has to undo all the booby traps in there placed to mess with visiting teams’ heads.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The gauntlet of booby traps culminating in the giant boulder that kick off Raiders is my single favorite opening sequence in a movie ever.

— Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026

Definition of booby traps

Noun

The golf course will remain open to the public throughout the renovation effort, although individual holes may temporarily close while work is underway, the agency said.

— Matthew Daly, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
That might mean using vintage fabric to patch holes in armchairs or rugs, rather than replacing them altogether.

— Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of holes

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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catch-22

catch-22's

catchall

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Style

“Catch-22's.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22%27s. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch-22's

noun

Example Sentences

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