pickle

noun

ˈpi-kəl How to pronounce pickle (audio)
Definition of picklenext
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape well, this is a bit of a pickle we've gotten ourselves into

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pickle Instead, the culinary team reworked the dressing into a richer, creamier dill ranch designed to mellow the burger’s sharp briny flavors while still letting the pickles shine. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026 Water-bath canning handles high-acid foods like tomatoes, fruit and pickles. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Aug. 2026 Our homemade harissa aioli brings the kick, the pickles and sumac onion cut the richness, and the roasted tomato and cabbage slaw keep everything bright. — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 While the drugs have become cheaper, soaring demand and long-term use have put employers in a financial pickle. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pickle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pickle
  1. predicament
  2. dilemma
  3. hole
  4. bind
  5. swamp
  6. jam
Noun
  • And Mitchell doesn't waste any time making the life-or-death stakes of the Platts' predicament abundantly clear.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of predicament
Noun
  • To address this dilemma, McDonald’s hired a young consultant to hedge the cost.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The political dilemma posed by restructuring goes beyond Xi’s affinity for industry.
    — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilemma
Noun
  • Place them behind the refrigerator and stove, under kitchen and bathroom sinks near pipe entry holes, and in the back corners of pantry shelves.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 16 Aug. 2026
  • While the district took a series of cost-cutting steps — including freezing spending on supplies, hiring and most new contracts, as well as laying off employees — successive budget updates showed the financial hole continuing to deepen.
    — Chaewon Chung August 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • The Hightower high lord and his armies have occupied Tumbleton and have Rhaenyra in something of a bind.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • States cannot file for bankruptcy, leaving the Prairie State in an unusually tight bind.
    — Gregory Kearney, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of bind
Noun
  • Farther downstream, there was the Lake of the Jarayés and the delta; upstream, the great swamp.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • Feta and goat cheese make fine substitutions if blue cheese isn’t your jam.
    — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Jeff Hoffman allowed two runners in the eighth but escaped the jam, in part, due to Clemens making a diving stop on a hard grounder by Harris.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of jam

Browse Nearby Words

picking up on
pickle
pickled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pickle. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pickle

Nglish: Translation of pickle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pickle

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