as in dilemmas
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 predicaments
Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.
—
Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Brooks’s screenplay makes ample space to dump praise upon its protagonist while bemoaning her many predicaments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
But this is just one of the many predicaments of writing memoir.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Pakistan Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said his nation was hoping for more of a consensus going into Tuesday’s vote given the funding predicaments and operational issues that have dogged the MSS.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Is River in desperate need of some R&R, or is everyone else projecting their own predicaments onto him?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
Bolstered by its defensive line, Lawrence Academy (1-0) repeatedly forced Thayer’s Evriviades (9-15, 109 yards, INT) into difficult predicaments.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s a two-step process to getting out of these kind of predicaments.
—Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
These extreme predicaments and the deaths of people trapped in flooding homes in the Lower Ninth Ward were powerful reminders of the vulnerability of many low-income, elderly and ill residents who were unable to get out ahead of the disaster.
—Eric Kevin Stern, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Brooks’s screenplay makes ample space to dump praise upon its protagonist while bemoaning her many predicaments.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
But this is just one of the many predicaments of writing memoir.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Pakistan Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said his nation was hoping for more of a consensus going into Tuesday’s vote given the funding predicaments and operational issues that have dogged the MSS.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Is River in desperate need of some R&R, or is everyone else projecting their own predicaments onto him?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
Bolstered by its defensive line, Lawrence Academy (1-0) repeatedly forced Thayer’s Evriviades (9-15, 109 yards, INT) into difficult predicaments.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s a two-step process to getting out of these kind of predicaments.
—Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
These extreme predicaments and the deaths of people trapped in flooding homes in the Lower Ninth Ward were powerful reminders of the vulnerability of many low-income, elderly and ill residents who were unable to get out ahead of the disaster.
—Eric Kevin Stern, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predicaments
Noun
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Three Tri-Valley school districts are facing significant financial dilemmas heading into next year, with budget cuts and potential layoffs threatening to hit classrooms.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
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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,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Serve it with or without a bun plus your favorite toppings like pickles, slaw, and extra sauce.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
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Sook by Maydan is offering a $ 15-per-person Dine LA lunch menu with a choice of beef wrap or chicken shish taouk wrap, served with house pickles, labneh spread, and a farmers market side salad.—
Kaila Yu,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predicaments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predicaments. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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