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
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The Middle East war, which has shown little sign of easing, may continue to push China’s producer prices higher at least through March, said Zhang, warning that a prolonged conflict risks tipping the global economy into stagflation.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026 -
That could raise new credit risks for emerging markets, warned Fitch Ratings, as higher oil prices bloat subsidy and import bills and disrupt remittances, tourism and investment flows.—
Claire Jiao,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Ownership’s choice to have Brzezinski oversee these weighty dilemmas in the aftermath of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing was not random.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At least 57 nations have live antipersonnel land mines in their territories.—
Sagar Lekhak,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
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Every day presents new potential land mines.—
Tia Goldenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The six-hour event at Art History Brewing in Geneva was offered by the Streetz Artz Alliance group and featured more than a dozen local artisans whose products ranged from hot sauce and custom woodwork to body care products, jewelry, bread, pickles and more.—
David Sharos,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Burd, who hates pickles, was hesitant to eat it and felt like throwing up.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Their 2025-26 season has been littered with injury landmines and other booby traps hidden in the walls of Ball Arena.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The peak of this dome occurred when the Hall coefficient changed sign, indicating that the dominant charge carriers switched from holes to electrons.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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One of those holes is the WNBA’s low pay, which forced players to supplement their income by playing overseas when the league was not in season.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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