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rabbit hole

noun

Definition of rabbit holenext
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape shoreline residents are finding themselves helplessly falling down a rabbit hole in their Sisyphean efforts to halt beach erosion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 rabbit hole My rabbit hole ended, happily, in this serendipitous Hell Gate profile of the Williamsburg tailor who kept Interpol in fine threads. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026 Trust your instincts without going down the rabbit hole of confusion. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Defense protestations aside, the impact of Davis’s own voice on jurors seemed clear, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal managed to keep the multiple investigations and hip-hop rivalry testimony from falling down a rabbit hole. — John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026 To him, Leah had gone down a TikTok rabbit hole and never come out. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rabbit hole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabbit hole
  1. dilemma
  2. predicament
  3. pickle
  4. hole
  5. bind
  6. swamp
  7. corner
Noun
  • Part of what our soul requires is a person who has an authentic interior struggle — a debate, a dilemma.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Past attempts to fix this flaw created a frustrating dilemma.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of dilemma
Noun
  • On the other end, Heckman wrestled with the moral predicament of giving airtime to a potential murderer while hoping to keep Hall alive.
    — Dave Itzkoff, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Her mother hustled her to hospital, only for the doctors to realize Accurso’s active imagination had left her in the same predicament as Madeline’s friends.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of predicament
Noun
  • Add the lime juice and pickle brine, and mash with a fork until relatively smooth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Anderson’s $38 jars of pickles raised $500,000 for the California Wildlife Center.
    — Marc Malkin, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of pickle
Noun
  • However, going down to 0-2 puts a team at a really big hole to start the year and make the playoffs.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Martin Schwarzschild is the son of Karl Schwarzschild, the person who discovered the black-hole solution.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Feasting on neutrality Few illustrate the current bind better than Caitlin Clark.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Hightower high lord and his armies have occupied Tumbleton and have Rhaenyra in something of a bind.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of bind
Noun
  • Wildlife watching is a year-round event, and one of the best vantage points is the Owl’s Roost Tower above the swamp.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Staying safe from alligators in Florida Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for centuries and are found in all of Florida's 67 counties.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • In Horizon West, located in the southwest corner of the county, Bay Lake Elementary School opened about 10 years ago.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas scored in the first half with shots from outside the penalty area, before Chema Andres completed the win with a header at the back post from Gross’ corner.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of corner

Browse Nearby Words

rabbit
rabbit hole
rabbit holes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rabbit hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabbit%20hole. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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