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
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Recent Examples of quagmire
The move also kept the players’ cleats from turning the three grass practice fields at their El Segundo facility into a muddy quagmire.
—
Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
The final thematic chapters on security sector reform, economic reorganization, and human rights constitute an excellent short primer for anyone contemplating venturing into this quagmire.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
From Felipe Torres Medina, a staff writer on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, comes this educational and eye-opening look at the quagmire of the immigration system.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Among the many conservatives who support Israel, there is a concern that America could become entangled in a quagmire in Iran.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
The final thematic chapters on security sector reform, economic reorganization, and human rights constitute an excellent short primer for anyone contemplating venturing into this quagmire.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
From Felipe Torres Medina, a staff writer on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, comes this educational and eye-opening look at the quagmire of the immigration system.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Among the many conservatives who support Israel, there is a concern that America could become entangled in a quagmire in Iran.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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This year, however, my predicament has grown more urgent.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
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Owner’s Jail, to put it nicely, is the predicament of NFL fans whose team is owned by someone whose stewardship does not inspire great optimism.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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College basketball officials, according to those in the business, are taught not to make calls from the baseline through a tangle of bodies, instead deferring to one of your partners trailing the play.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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The shelf even has an opening for feeding a cord right through it for tangle-free access.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Pay attention, however, and the connection between Mary and Boo becomes more tender as their dilemma deepens, as does the relationship between Mary and her well-meaning, if totally embarrassing, mom.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
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This feels like an apt dilemma to invoke while critiquing a book about an editor.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some people even shared old photos of Indigenous peoples wearing the hoods, noting that the originators of the design kept the fur outward to break cold wind and trap snow.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The resort also has a gorgeous, airy gym with those same views of the volcano, tennis and pickle-ball courts, and solid ocean programming that includes sunrise paddles in the resort’s outrigger canoe, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and diving.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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The Toronto Raptors, stuck in the morass of teams fighting for playoff/Play-In Tournament seeding, would surely rather finish higher rather than lower.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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But uneven enforcement and a growing list of exceptions have created a regulatory morass that is stifling the continent’s transformation.—
Eric Schmidt,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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There must be someone in that backbiting swamp that is Hollywood who isn’t a Brooks fan, but such a person is not to be found here.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The crab-eating frog (Fejervarya cancrivora) lives in mangroves, coastal swamps and estuaries across Southeast Asia.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The result is a sector doing critical, often life-saving work while operating on financial quicksand.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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But the quicksand flowed back as soon as the backpacker shoveled it away, Marshall said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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