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
And when that pressure collided with the 43-day shutdown—which paused SNAP for millions before benefits were restored—some households faced a double bind: food money late, car payment due.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
This double bind can be traumatic.
—Hind Haddad, The Conversation, 30 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
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
This double bind can be traumatic.
—Hind Haddad, The Conversation, 30 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
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double bind
Noun
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Barragán originally set out to find the man who scammed his mother by posing as a handsome American soldier, but now interrogates four of these young men, illuminating their psychological tactics, economic hardships and moral dilemmas.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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This is not a new dilemma for football fans.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
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If a fetus becomes infected, toxoplasmosis can lead to a range of health problems, including premature birth, low birth weight, jaundice or other liver problems, abnormal blood counts, rashes, eye disease, developmental delays, seizures, brain calcification, and in extreme cases, stillbirth.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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What are some potential solutions for when this problem arises again could be the key to unlocking another title, regardless of any personnel changes that might happen.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double bind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20bind. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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