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

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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

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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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22's

Noun

OpenAI faces several lawsuits from state AGs and plaintiff attorneys, taking cues from the social media suits in alleging that the design of ChatGPT can pose risks to children.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Democratic overreach risks pushing the pendulum in the other direction.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of risks

Noun

Hitchcock’s Rear Window, though not a road horror film, is about the moral dilemmas associated with encounters with the other, particularly with regards to voyeurism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Together, Frankenstein and The Vampyre remind us of literature’s power to probe the deepest questions of human existence, offering enduring insights into the ethical, social, and existential dilemmas that continue to shape our world.

— Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilemmas

Noun

Some games entirely errored out, some had hitches, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips were targeting relatively low-end gaming to begin with.

— Sean Hollister, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of hitches

Noun

The same storm would leave them in very different predicaments, with very different paths to recovery.

— Dylan Connor, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2026
The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of predicaments

Noun

The situation in Oleshky is desperate, with food and medical supplies running perilously low for the up to 2,000 people still there, as drones and land mines restrict movement.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of land mines

Noun

Four years later, Kaczynski started adding booby traps around his cabin, and throughout the 1980s, he was accused by his neighbors of poisoning their dogs, The New York Times reported in 1999.

— Katie Mather, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of booby traps

Noun

But Colasante kept targeting him, and eventually the short passing game opened up some big holes for junior running back Jayke Collins, who rushed 20 times for 198 yards, including touchdown runs of 55 yards and 20 yards.

— Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
The common octopus is a generalist predator in coastal waters, particularly around rocky shores, where there are many holes to squeeze through, Kuba said.

— Reuters, NBC news, 6 Nov. 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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“Catch-22's.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22%27s. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch-22's

noun

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