as in dilemma
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
the double bind faced by every politician: responding to scurrilous charges only gives them unwarranted publicity; not responding to such charges is often interpreted as an admission of guilt
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Recent Examples of double bind
This double bind represents one of the most obvious barriers in contemporary workplace cultures overall, where the mere act of being perceived as vulnerable can come at a professional cost, one that only worsens over entire careers.
—
Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The double bind of healthcare and legal danger made my life in this country suffocating.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Homebuyers now face a double bind: inflated prices and higher monthly payments.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
After October 7th, the magazine found itself in an agonizing double bind.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The double bind of healthcare and legal danger made my life in this country suffocating.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Homebuyers now face a double bind: inflated prices and higher monthly payments.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
After October 7th, the magazine found itself in an agonizing double bind.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double bind
Noun
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For mid-market companies, this shift presents a dilemma.—
Richard Ricks,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Wrestling over a decade with those rich character dilemmas got Vanderbilt an incredible roster of actors who here work at the height of their game.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Today, Anousheh is the CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, an organization that has helped solve massive social problems by setting grand challenges for teams to compete and solve.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Folks, the problem is not the sign, the decor or the politics.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Double bind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20bind. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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