1
as in problems
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
faced with a dilemma of whether to risk continuing to drive in the dangerous storm or to give up searching for the lost dog and hope he survived
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in predicaments
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with home prices in a free fall, sellers were in a terrible dilemma
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of dilemmas
Since taking office in mid-2022, Marcos has grappled with multiple complex problems and political dilemmas.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Since taking office in mid-2022, Marcos has grappled with multiple complex problems and political dilemmas.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Perpetrators seem to let those dilemmas slide off, like Teflon.
—Lynn Dewoskin Covarrubias, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
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
The report eases one of the Fed’s trickiest dilemmas from the past year, when weak job growth put pressure on officials to cut rates even as inflation refused to come down.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
To help resolve these dilemmas, European industry leaders are calling for government support, including subsidies and tax breaks, to level the playing field with Chinese competitors whose products come at unbeatable prices.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
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, 30 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Since taking office in mid-2022, Marcos has grappled with multiple complex problems and political dilemmas.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Perpetrators seem to let those dilemmas slide off, like Teflon.
—Lynn Dewoskin Covarrubias, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
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
The report eases one of the Fed’s trickiest dilemmas from the past year, when weak job growth put pressure on officials to cut rates even as inflation refused to come down.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
To help resolve these dilemmas, European industry leaders are calling for government support, including subsidies and tax breaks, to level the playing field with Chinese competitors whose products come at unbeatable prices.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
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, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilemmas
Noun
-
Hidden streaks of fat hiding between and within muscle fibers can signal serious health problems, said Akkaya, the lead author of a new study that analyzed how ultraprocessed food impacts intramuscular fat in people at risk for knee osteoporosis.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
These are the root problems that can disrupt traffic at any moment, anywhere.—
Yunus Emre Tozal,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The life of a globe-trotting environmentalist is a breeding ground for moral quandaries.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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Three little people’s romantic quandaries are indeed inextricable from the crazy world.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Though offerings shift, look for a summer-classic watermelon gose, prickly pear sour, and even a dill sour ale infused with brine and pickles.—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Add extra cheese, deli meat, pickles, olives, and anything else that sounds good, then top it all with hot honey and fig jam.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dilemmas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilemmas. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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