double bind

Definition of double bindnext
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of double bind As if breaking the law would offer a symbolic release from this double bind, the third video documents Liden trespassing into the apartment of an anonymous hoarder. — Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 2026 Cast members of color, on the other hand, are often trapped in a double bind of sorts. — Shamira Ibrahim, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026 China is already facing a double bind of labor shortages in some sectors and unemployment in others. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026 This double bind can be traumatic. — Hind Haddad, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for double bind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double bind
Noun
  • But aspects such as strong characters, emotional investment, aspirational and authentic journeys, contemporary tensions, real moral dilemmas and complex relationships are what keep you there.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • More broadly, the premiere sets up a deepening of Common Side Effects’ many dilemmas.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The problem is two of the guys have started dating between last year and this year.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In an Austin school district where buses are equipped with cameras, Waymos were recorded illegally passing them more than twenty times in the past school year—a problem that persisted even after the company tried to fix it.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Double bind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20bind. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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