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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While Season 3 brought a horror vibe to portraying Joe Leaphorn’s moral and personal dilemmas, Season 4 has its own, almost David Lynchian, style.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Parents of teens are faced with many dilemmas, one of which might be whether or not to allow their teen to get a job.—
Elisa Cinelli,
Parents,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Accessories should be minimal and delicate, to avoid any tangles mid-journey.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
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But the seven-member volunteer commission — long expected to take the reins from OPD’s federal overseers — still seems to be struggling to gain footing within Oakland’s complex bureaucratic tangles.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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True School Freedom Act empowers parents with universal choice—no zip code traps.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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If the federal government insists on misusing courts as traps rather than the place where disputes are legally hashed out, then our justice system needs to find safe ways for people to appear.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Capers, lemon juice, and pickles set this snack apart from the rest.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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Watts-That Soul Food Southern fried pork chops and catfish share a menu with wings, Kool-Aid pickles and more at this soul food truck.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My guiding principle would be protecting American interests while avoiding unnecessary entanglements—making decisions grounded in facts, realism, and a clear understanding of the regional, economic, and security implications involved.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Tune in to Planet Money's explainer on the heart-balm tort, a type of lawsuit reserved for economic entanglements of the heart.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But otherwise, the kids were free to roam around Iron River, playing football in their front yard and basketball on the playground, or cutting through woods and swamps.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
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Much of that wildlife is concentrated within Corcovado National Park, 163-plus-square-miles of tropical forest, mangrove swamps, and beaches.—
Laura Kiniry,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Bhatia made it through 47 holes of this signature event until his first bogey when the strengthening wind sent his tee shot well over the green on the par-3 12th.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Another method is to use injection-spray bars to create thousands of small holes on a course, using nozzles that force water into the snow.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmires. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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