1
as in dilemmas
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 tangles
something that catches and holds
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
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Recent Examples of quagmires
But this is the wrong time for political sideshows or ethical quagmires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmires
Noun
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True moral dilemmas, which become tangled in ways that seem impossible to unravel, with his private life.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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The author recalled having a nightmare about his own family and unconsciously tapping into his personal dilemmas, which provided the basis for the book by the time the sun rose.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After spraying this before a braid takedown, my hair was visibly softer and easier to mange through tangles.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Having the best brush for your dog will keep its coat free of tangles and might even prevent a big bill at the groomer’s.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Another possible explanation for the name is that this was also the season when people set beaver traps during the fur trade.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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In addition to raking the traps, the greenskeeper at the country club also hired McConaughey to hunt the armadillos that were wreaking havoc on the greens of the golf course.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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To get the Benny Blanco drink, customers could add cherry flavor and pickles.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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Then she’s trapped by aisles on all sides, boxed in by shelf after shelf of pickles.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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This transit can also expose hidden motives in relationships, financial entanglements and even regarding our sense of self-worth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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For example, in California, the limit is three entanglements of humpback whales before triggering a calendar-year closure of commercial fishing; the MMPA changes could raise that limit to 30 entanglements, Shester said.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The agency said rising water levels in rivers, gullies and swamps may push the reptiles into residential areas in search of dry ground.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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The land was also covered by swamps and ponds, where animals lived, including deer, ducks and hogs.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Despite what many baseball fans think, the Dodgers do have holes to fill in their lineup.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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The ozone layer has historically provided a critical defense between the potentially harmful rays of the sun and the people who live on the Earth’s surface, but climate change has served to weaken it, even causing holes within it in certain areas.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quagmires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmires. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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