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
The British poet’s account of growing up and, later, growing into his deaf identity works to untangle his knotty relationship to his hearing impairment, which is both partial and, by nature, invisible.
—
Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
In his crowded, knotty-pine office, several young men and women sit at desks filling out forms.
—Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
No sense in wasting your time on flailing around to solve a knotty problem.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
This gives the roots a knotty appearance from which its common name is derived.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
In his crowded, knotty-pine office, several young men and women sit at desks filling out forms.
—Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
No sense in wasting your time on flailing around to solve a knotty problem.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
This gives the roots a knotty appearance from which its common name is derived.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
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His love of American design codes, such as the white T-shirt and sport jerseys, is evident in his manipulation of the garment to become a skirt or in creating an intricate patchwork tank-style dress.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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In living tissue, light scattering is common, signal contrast is often low, and reconstructing intricate features across a large volume presents a significant computational challenge.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This narrative has taken center stage over a far more complicated and interesting reality.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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With the success of TV shows like Hacks and The White Lotus, which explore the beautifully complicated, often messy inner lives of women who don’t fit the ingenue mold, perhaps more production companies will take chances on similar shows.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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And that’s tough on those guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The shift would send states scrambling and complicate parents’ efforts to get young children vaccinated ahead of the coming respiratory virus season.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
14 Aug. 2025
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The district has tried to be conservative on replacing items as efforts to form a fire territory complicate issues of investment and ownership.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Formulated without alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, the TheraBreath Whitening Fresh Breath Oral Rinse uses glucose oxidase and enzymes called papain to help break up stains and kill bad-breath-causing bacteria—all without aggravating sensitive teeth and gums.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Organizations are increasingly relying on AI to handle the initial assessment load, especially in high-volume or compliance-sensitive hiring scenarios.—
Aaron Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This goes up to six to eight weeks when the fracture is more complex.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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In order to embolden and support his organization, bin Laden often videotaped himself with messages aimed at his target audience, established training centers in Afghanistan, had an expansive funding network that included wealthy individuals, couriers, mosques and other complex ways to raise funds.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Created by Oscar winner Callie Khouri, the series tracks the tangled personal and professional lives of fictional country stars navigating fame, rivalries, and the high-stakes world of Music City.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Sep. 2025
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These picks are designed to make getting around smoother, way more efficient, and to help frequent fliers avoid travel chaos (think tangled necklaces, dead phone batteries, and neck strains).—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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