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
Now they're caught in a double bind: 85% of the mineral fertilizer potash used by American farmers comes from Canada, while our northern neighbor also provides a quarter of farmers' nitrogen needs.
—
Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
During the Biden Presidency, the government faced a double bind with Venezuelans: Their country, run by a vicious dictator and beset by a humanitarian crisis, had for years refused to accept deportations from the U.S.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
That leaves the consumer in a double bind: still resilient, but increasingly forced to be discerning, particularly in a world where prices perniciously creep up.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
The double bind of healthcare and legal danger made my life in this country suffocating.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
During the Biden Presidency, the government faced a double bind with Venezuelans: Their country, run by a vicious dictator and beset by a humanitarian crisis, had for years refused to accept deportations from the U.S.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
That leaves the consumer in a double bind: still resilient, but increasingly forced to be discerning, particularly in a world where prices perniciously creep up.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
The double bind of healthcare and legal danger made my life in this country suffocating.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double bind
Noun
-
This dilemma was inspired during lockdown, when my flatmate was listening to the audiobook of Bleak House.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The National Gallery of London is hosting the first major exhibition of 18th-century painter Joseph Wright, whose works captured the moral dilemma of scientific progress at the dawn of the industrial age.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Winning the lottery is supposed to fix all of your problems, but there are some debts that are too great for the big ticket to cover.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
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The delicate appearance may surprise you since these blooms resist deer, have few pest and disease problems, and can grow in clay soil.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Double bind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20bind. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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