as in dilemmas
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabbit holes
Noun
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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,
6 Jan. 2026 -
The following is a breakdown of those questions and others, and the key personnel dilemmas that remain unsolved as the World Cup nears.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Working in batches if needed, arrange pickles in a single layer in air-fryer basket (do not overcrowd).—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Jan. 2026
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Along with the usual lettuce, tomato and mayo, the inaugural customer creation, introduced for a limited time in July 2025, dressed the brand’s staple burger patty and bun with American cheese, bacon, crispy onions, and pickles with golden onion rings and a smoky BBQ sauce.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brooks’s screenplay makes ample space to dump praise upon its protagonist while bemoaning her many predicaments.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
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But this is just one of the many predicaments of writing memoir.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Officers saw multiple bullet holes on the metal fence dividing the properties and shell casings in his backyard, the affidavit said.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Add a pass rusher with the first pick, a receiver in Round 2 and then spend heavily on patching holes in free agency.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The agency said rising water levels in rivers, gullies and swamps may push the reptiles into residential areas in search of dry ground.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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The land was also covered by swamps and ponds, where animals lived, including deer, ducks and hogs.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rabbit holes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabbit%20holes. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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