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
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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Every interaction and plot twist in Jury Duty is carefully orchestrated to steer its unwitting star through a series of low-stakes moral dilemmas while hidden cameras capture his reactions.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Such local sites focus on a small group of people who happened to live in a certain place at a certain time—and who, for that fleeting moment, came to stand in for the dilemmas of the nation at large.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eisenberg plays a lot of acoustic guitar, sticks mostly to normie chords, and largely avoids dissonant tangles, opting for a bright, translucent sound.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
6 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
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If paired with traps like this one, scientists elsewhere could start assembling antihydrogen themselves, and this would be a game-changer.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
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Plus, the domed lid traps and circulates steam for maximum rise and flavor, while the low-profile base ensures even browning and a golden, crispy crust.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though offerings shift, look for a summer-classic watermelon gose, prickly pear sour, and even a dill sour ale infused with brine and pickles.—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
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Add extra cheese, deli meat, pickles, olives, and anything else that sounds good, then top it all with hot honey and fig jam.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Freed from all the entanglements that come with having to launch a ground invasion, air war can overfly not just morality and law but arguments, rationales, the calibration of risks to rewards and of suffering to satisfaction.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
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With Mercury meeting both Saturn and Mars in your eighth house of transformation, financial matters, debts or emotional entanglements could demand more of your attention.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Post-Order 66 Jedi are often just lesser versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda, skulking around in swamps and deserts, but this duo can't seem to stay away from the action.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Tiger Bay State Forest At more than 28,000 acres, this massive state forest is home to trails, swamps, pine islands, and numerous species of birds and wildlife, like Florida black bears and bald eagles.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Young birdied eight holes to go along with a bogey on the par-5 15th after going water.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
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Select the Right Pot Oversized pots increase the risk of overwatering, so select a pot or planter that’s just 1 to 2 inches larger than your existing pot and make sure the pot has drainage holes in the base.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmires. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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