1
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
a prickly issue that will outrage at least one special interest if not handled delicately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of prickly
Bromelias — prickly and shiny and smooth.
—
Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The environment can get prickly.
—Bryan Price, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Properly constructed, a Martinez is plush with Italian vermouth but still prickly with gin, enjoying the diamond-clarity of a Martini but with the silken luxuriousness of a Manhattan.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Beleaguered American chipmaker Intel is finding itself in slightly less prickly situations lately.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The environment can get prickly.
—Bryan Price, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Properly constructed, a Martinez is plush with Italian vermouth but still prickly with gin, enjoying the diamond-clarity of a Martini but with the silken luxuriousness of a Manhattan.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
Beleaguered American chipmaker Intel is finding itself in slightly less prickly situations lately.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
-
Mosquitoes may be tiny, but their bites can pack an irritating punch.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Critics note the time and effort needed to remove stubborn labels—after all, few things are more irritating than peeling off a label and being met with sticky residue.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To say nothing about the thorny question of its genre—do Eastern European writers need to provide more explanations and justifications when using the technique of autofiction?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
This is a very thorny path forward for the Vikings over the next month.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
This character was actually quite difficult for me.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Behold the golden-orange horizon over Kitt Peak National Observatory, a fiery twilight moment where day bows out and the stars prepare their grand entrance.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
After making the difficult choice to leave Fritz, Nicks recalled the beginnings of her famously fiery romance with Buckingham.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The morning light casts jagged shadows across the pink stone, catching the saguaro spines and illuminating them like desert saints.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
According to one tale, the devil escaped from hell and formed the jagged peaks in one day’s work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Some people experience tactile allodynia, which happens when the central nervous system becomes extra sensitive to things that touch your skin.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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Still, employees have also been left wondering why the moves needed to take place when so many employees remained furloughed and unaware of how sensitive hardware was being handled.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Linen can sometimes lean scratchy and wrinkly, but the texture felt just right for wearing inside or outside the house.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
28 Oct. 2025
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Overheating, scratchy metal utensils, overzealous scrubbing, and some cooking sprays can damage the surface and shorten the pan's lifespan.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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