1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knotty
This year California voters will choose a new governor, fill other statewide offices, elect 100 state legislators and 52 members of Congress and weigh an array of knotty ballot measures.
—
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
Democrats, hungry to win a Senate race for the first time since 1988, see an opening, but have their own knotty race to figure out.
—Thomas Beaumont, Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
And at a time of deep polarization, this moment is testing how far Britt, and other lawmakers, are willing to go to tackle knotty policy problems captivating national attention.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Just as much an investigator as a memoirist, Nevils attempts to tunnel through the lurid details and the #MeToo boilerplate and unearth something much knottier.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
Democrats, hungry to win a Senate race for the first time since 1988, see an opening, but have their own knotty race to figure out.
—Thomas Beaumont, Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
And at a time of deep polarization, this moment is testing how far Britt, and other lawmakers, are willing to go to tackle knotty policy problems captivating national attention.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Just as much an investigator as a memoirist, Nevils attempts to tunnel through the lurid details and the #MeToo boilerplate and unearth something much knottier.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
-
As many clubs in the lower leagues look to ape the intricate build-up popularised by elite managers such as Pep Guardiola, have Bromley just demonstrated that long-ball football still works?—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Though often dismissed as bubblegum soul, the early Jackson 5 hits were intricate and infectious.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Putting in the new chip was more difficult.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rest will be more difficult.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The figures had cracked in many places and some of the statues revealed their complicated armature.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Legacy therapeutic approaches are sometimes complicated, costly, slow or restricted in geography.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That's a tough ask given that this isn't the first time the network's credibility has come into question.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Another tough one, all having to do with writer friends and boundaries (or the lack thereof).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was essentially a copy of the main laser beam, used as a sensitive probe to detect tiny fluctuations that the main system couldn’t easily see.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Berries, leafy greens, and other fresh fruits and vegetables are also particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations.—
Bridget Shirvell,
Martha Stewart,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But by tweaking this archetype again and again, Chan transforms a cheap gimmick into a complex ecosystem of life-forms.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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This long-term evolution culminated in the training of an algorithm capable of accurately interpreting and recognizing complex patterns of electrical pulses within the system.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, commissioners noted that the single accessway to the complex would be a narrow road where traffic is already problematic.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
So structurally, obviously, that is problematic for this whole throat area.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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