as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
if you had told the truth in the first place, we wouldn't be in this predicament
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Recent Examples of predicament
Indiana, like much of the nation, is facing a penny predicament.
—
Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 25 Feb. 2026
The film grapples movingly with how commanders and soldiers understood their predicament, including an unforgettable scene in which a number of soldiers commit suicide.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Much like the shale boom was predicated on $100 oil (which never happened), if rental prices were to sink to thirty or fifty cents an hour instead of staying in the $1-2 range, Big Tech could find itself in a similar predicament, Currie warns.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predicament
Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 26 Feb. 2026
An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 25 Feb. 2026
The film grapples movingly with how commanders and soldiers understood their predicament, including an unforgettable scene in which a number of soldiers commit suicide.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Much like the shale boom was predicated on $100 oil (which never happened), if rental prices were to sink to thirty or fifty cents an hour instead of staying in the $1-2 range, Big Tech could find itself in a similar predicament, Currie warns.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predicament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predicament
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Lawmakers have noticed the dilemma in recent decades, resulting in a handful of states tweaking privacy laws.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Alex Garcia’s cheeseburger tartare is a mound of rib-eye sliced by hand into dice-sized squares of meat, dressed in a vinaigrette that zips with pickle brine, soy, mustard and even a squirt or two of ketchup.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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To really take your love of all things zesty dill to the next level, the chain is also now offering Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle Chips, and recommends layering the chips onto your sandwich for more pickle crunch.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predicament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predicament. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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