as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
In addition to serving as a living mulch, the spiny hairs on squash leaves are thought to deter raccoons from stealing your sweet corn.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
The spiny dogfish’s gestation period lasts about two years.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The tuatara of New Zealand, a spiny reptilian relic, can outlive generations of researchers studying it.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Though these prawns have spiny shells that are difficult to peel, the meat has a sweet taste like lobster, making this entree one of the eatery’s main attractions.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
The spiny dogfish’s gestation period lasts about two years.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The tuatara of New Zealand, a spiny reptilian relic, can outlive generations of researchers studying it.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Though these prawns have spiny shells that are difficult to peel, the meat has a sweet taste like lobster, making this entree one of the eatery’s main attractions.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Johnson has been on a winning streak this year with Trump in the White House and backing him repeatedly to muscle through a series of very tough votes on the slimmest of majorities.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2025
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Coastal trips After previously demonstrating that Viking vessels can handle open oceanic waters even in tough conditions, Jarrett was determined to explore their capabilities close to land and among the fjords.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, data tokenization or de-identification allows sensitive information (like PII or health records) to be replaced with non-sensitive surrogates, reducing risk without compromising analytics.—
Shinoy Vengaramkode Bhaskaran,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Tian also allegedly sent additional sensitive data on U.S. weapons systems.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins poked fun at Travis Kelce’s hairy back as a photo of the Kansas City Chiefs star went viral across social media last week.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
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The visual of Molly’s head under a blanket and Guy’s two hairy legs dangling over the side of the bed is terrifically funny.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The reviews and social conversation were becoming apparent that this had inserted itself into the culture in a really sticky way.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2025
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As the Southern heat creeps up more and more, putting together an outfit that’s stylish but doesn’t leave you drenched in sweat or sticky from humidity can be a challenge.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights).—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
Footwear News,
26 May 2025
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The relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Baltimore City Hall leaders acknowledged on Wednesday that squatting and social media networks potentially profiting from such activities are problematic.—
Gary Collins,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2025
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Some nutrients in sunflower seeds may be problematic if overconsumed.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The result is a mosaic of broods that makes the jigsaw puzzle of periodical cicada distribution more complicated, but more interesting.—
Chris Simon,
The Conversation,
22 May 2025
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My work centers Native characters who are fully human: messy, funny, complicated.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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