Thesaurus results for QUAGMIRES

quagmires

noun

plural of quagmire

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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as in tangles

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 quagmires At heart, structures and incentives pull Washington back, repeatedly, to avoidable quagmires. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 Jeane used the example not to say that any of the three were in danger of closing, but to point out one of the enrollment quagmires in the district that covers 70 square miles. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Despite a few diversions along the way, Minney keeps returning to craft as a solution to fashion’s many quagmires. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026 But these occupations soon became bloody quagmires, with hundreds of military and tens of thousands of civilian casualties. — Mo Rocca, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026 But this is the wrong time for political sideshows or ethical quagmires. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmires

Noun

And what are the key selection dilemmas facing Arteta and counterpart (and boyhood team-mate) Xabi Alonso?

— James McNicholas, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
But for those who find (and in some cases may be slightly mystified as to why) that there is a nagging, needling value to Schrader’s ongoing project of tussling with grandiose dilemmas of transgression and deliverance, there is some new news here.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dilemmas

Noun

Its windows framed the skyline through tangles of dark, leathery holm-oak leaves and, disorientingly, thick tree trunks rooted in enormous planters and secured against storms by vertical cables.

— Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Supply chains in many industries are full of tangles, but for semiconductor tech, that’s putting it lightly.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of tangles

Noun

On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of predicaments

Noun

Governments in the region launched a massive response, including traps, sniffer dogs, drone surveillance and most importantly, sterile flies.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
The direct heat helps re-crisp the bottom of the crust, while the lid traps heat, so the cheese and toppings warm through without the crust becoming excessively dry.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of traps

Noun

In the book’s 16 central chapters, Roden wanders from central categories such as yogurt, egg dishes, breads and pickles, showing how the countries of this region prepare stunning variations of common foodstuffs.

— Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
The following month, Marcus and Bakhitar made another strategic decision based on their network's advice, submitting applications to sell pickles at Erewhon and Whole Foods despite barely having any history as a business.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of pickles

Noun

Stars Dakota Fanning as a woman whose relationship with her boyfriend hits a rough patch just as her ex reappears in her life, leading to messy entanglements in the Alaskan wilderness.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
But the company’s earnings call on Wednesday also underscored the financial entanglements between the chipmaker, the hyperscalers and the rest of the AI industry.

— Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of entanglements

Noun

Stories — real or not — circulated in the 19th and early 20th centuries of White people using Black children as bait while hunting in Florida’s swamps.

— Matt Baker, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Black rat snakes occupy an expansive range of habitats, from swamps and marshes to forests and fields.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of swamps

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“Quagmires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmires. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of quagmires

noun

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