Definition of quagmirenext
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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2
as in tangle
something that catches and holds a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quagmire With a day to digest the defeat, the Spurs’ message at Thursday’s media session was that their play in Game 1 was out of character, especially in a 40-point quagmire of a second half. John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Neither resulted in lasting security improvements and instead left indelible, traumatic scars on Israel’s collective consciousness, creating the image of Lebanon as a quagmire into which Israel has been repeatedly drawn. Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026 International sporting competitions such as the International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, have condemned the concept as a moral and ethical quagmire. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 May 2026 The quagmire in Ukraine and persistent inflation have weighed on sentiment. Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
  • Rather than allow the observatory to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, NASA turned Swift’s predicament into a test of an emerging technology — robotic satellite servicing.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • And Prince George, who is third in line to the throne, is apparently in that predicament.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 June 2026
Noun
  • For instance, pet parents keep an eye out for Amazon vacuums that come with tangle-free brushes to trap loose fur without clogging the motorhead.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 25 June 2026
  • This Levoit vacuum just dropped under $200, and its impressive ability to pick up hair without any tangles is a pet owner’s dream.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Perhaps every story in which the characters are fundamentally unable to change their lives is subject to this same dilemma.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
  • Casa Amor, as a concept, is traditionally structured like a prisoner’s dilemma, with neither the main villa nor Casa Islanders aware of what their counterparts are doing while they’re separated.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • The lone bright spot from the midfield was the solid presence of Pedri who played out of position and still had a decent all-around performance, but even he was criticized by many on social media for falling into a familiar trap.
    Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Golden State sent more traps than usual and didn’t allow the former Notre Dame standout to get clean looks at the rim or from the 3-point line.
    Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
Noun
  • Your leaf feeding, and eventually fruit feeding, pests are almost certain to be pickle or melon worms.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
  • Both point out that pickle juice is high in sodium; infrequently or in small doses, that’s fine, but if consumed excessively, pickle juice can pretty quickly put you beyond the daily amount of sodium health experts recommend that people consume.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The massive language model is a morass of words connecting to other words.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • These elements and more could help move the needle on the nation’s housing morass.
    Alex Schwartz, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Air quality officials also recommend using an air purifier if available and avoiding the use of whole-house fans or swamp coolers that can draw outdoor air inside.
    Sydney Barragan, Daily News, 20 June 2026
  • For millions of years between 350 and 280 million years ago (about 30 million years before the first dinosaurs), these croc-like animals ruled the rivers, swamps, and lakes of the ancient world.
    Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • There are reasons the 2026 Giants aren’t trapped in the same quicksand as the Mets, Phillies or Red Sox, and those reasons are encouraging.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Such fluidity also extends to Amrum itself, where the land and water ebb and flow into one another, forming mudflats and murky patches of quicksand.
    David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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