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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tangles
something that catches and holds
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quagmires
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
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
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To help resolve these dilemmas, European industry leaders are calling for government support, including subsidies and tax breaks, to level the playing field with Chinese competitors whose products come at unbeatable prices.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To him, the vision seemed right — not in the specific locations activated by various themes but in the sense that our neuroanatomy did seem to parse the world by subject, tangles and folds of neurons lighting up in response to clouds of ideas.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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Chapek’s woes as Disney chief have been well documented, from his tangles in Florida to an ugly public spat with Scarlett Johansson to alienating top executives by removing creative decision-making authority in a hugely unpopular restructuring.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Journeys that used to take entire seasons were being covered in single episodes, characters survived predicaments that once meant surefire death, and previously relevant factors like supplies, infrastructure, and alliances no longer mattered.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
24 Mar. 2026
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Victorian novels made good use of the predicaments of second and third sons, who had to become ministers or soldiers or schemers, and daughters who needed to be married off according to age.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These torons act as microscopic traps for light.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
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This time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of black flies.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the open kitchen concept, with local produce and jars of pickles on display for guests to touch, taste, and smell, makes going off-menu just as enticing—just ask the chef for suggestions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Megan Thee Stallion ‘Was Gonna Eat This Anyway’ Megan Thee Stallion, who was publicly spotted combining Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with actual pickles before the partnership ever came together, is a genuine fan of the product (and flavor).—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her life as portrayed on Mormon Wives is that of a loose cannon who struggles to liberate herself from toxic romantic entanglements, running directly counter to The Bachelor’s fantasy of happily-ever-after.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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According to Sean Hastings, a policy manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear are currently the number one and number two threats to whales.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All seagrasses descend from a group of flowering plants that includes the arums and water plantains, many of which grow in swamps or along streams.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
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The pygmy hippopotamus, once thought to surface in the swamps, is believed to be extinct.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Korda took the season opener that was cut to 54 holes because of extreme cold and wind in Florida, while Kim won last week at Sharon Heights.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Make no mistake, as healthy top-to-bottom as Denver is, there are still a few notable holes on this roster.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmires. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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