Synonyms of quagmire

quagmire

noun

ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 

1

as in predicament

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election

Synonyms & Similar Words

• predicament
• dilemma
• pickle
• swamp
• hole
• bind
• mire
• corner
• impasse
• jam
• difficulty
• crisis
• box
• fix
• spot
• catch-22
• plight
• rabbit hole
• kettle of fish
• rattrap
• jackpot
• sticky wicket
• trouble
• quandary
• node
• hot water
• soup
• emergency
• deadlock
• stalemate
• standstill
• halt
• strait
• crossroad
• pinch
• exigency
• logjam
• scrape
• juncture
• clutch

2

as in tangle

something that catches and holds

a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangle
• trap
• morass
• quicksand
• labyrinth
• maze
• web
• entanglement
• noose
• snare
• net
• tanglement
• mesh(es)
• toil(s)
• snarl
• knot
• cobweb
• spiderweb
• cat's cradle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of quagmire

Fearful of another 9/11-style calamity, the Bush team exaggerated the threat posed by Hussein, triggering what would become an eight-year military quagmire. — Michael E. Neagle, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026

Blair Levin, policy analyst at New Street Research, told Deadline via email that the time AT&T lost during the legal quagmire ultimately turned out to be a devastating blow. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

But the likely fake accounts potentially set up a legal quagmire for Temu, as European law bars the use of misleading formats for advertising. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Elaine Crossman, who also knew Indiana and owns a motel and art gallery on the town’s Main Street, told the Times that the renovation appeared to have become an expensive quagmire. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026