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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Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters Global stock markets have been volatile as investors continue to assess geopolitical risks in the Middle East, fundamentals and valuations of companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) market and key economic data.
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Peace under these conditions is little more than a postponement of hostilities, and the risks of appeasement are always high.
Noun
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At the time, the metaphor seemed to work because of the particular dilemmas posed by Brexit.
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Readers learn not simply from facts but from context, uncertainty, leadership dilemmas and competing priorities.
Noun
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In Houston, some drivers were up to their trailer hitches in lapping waters, while photos from Waco, Texas, showed roadways washed away by the storms.
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Legal glitches and hitches will eventually be found when AI laws are passed without suitable scrutiny and analysis.
Noun
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Rather than bridging shortfalls, both Seattle and Washington now face more difficult fiscal predicaments, Joblon said.
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The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.
Noun
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The younger Modrić’s childhood home in the village of Jasenice was abandoned and remains so to this day, with signs warning visitors of land mines in the area.
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The zombie commission was one of the final land mines Adams left behind for his successor.
Noun
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Those with the most pickles by weight will face off for the title of Baron of Bobbing.
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Layer the onions, 2 to 3 bacon pieces, and 2 to 3 pickles over the patty.
Noun
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The gauntlet of booby traps culminating in the giant boulder that kick off Raiders is my single favorite opening sequence in a movie ever.
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Picture Indiana Jones swapping his fedora for a Han dynasty helmet, dodging booby traps in dusty Chinese tombs.
Noun
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After shooting 1-over 71 on Saturday, James made bogey on his final two holes and finished Sunday’s final round at 3-over 73.
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On a building near where the shooting occurred, bullet holes were seen on its facade, including a crack in an apartment window.
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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 30 Jun. 2026.
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