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 its first year, a rosette of spiny leaves forms is followed in year two, by flowers in the pink to deep red spectrum.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Like aging copper, the Yarrow’s spiny lizard’s reptilian skin fades from gold to bluish-green.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 2025
The minimally landscaped areas immediately around the house quickly give way to the arid landscape, the spiny shrubs and Joshua trees interspersed with several sculptures set against the undulating shadow lines of the distant mountains.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The new species, named Bungulla pipilata, is a spiny trapdoor spider.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Like aging copper, the Yarrow’s spiny lizard’s reptilian skin fades from gold to bluish-green.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 2025
The minimally landscaped areas immediately around the house quickly give way to the arid landscape, the spiny shrubs and Joshua trees interspersed with several sculptures set against the undulating shadow lines of the distant mountains.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The new species, named Bungulla pipilata, is a spiny trapdoor spider.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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The voracious reader said that the best books, those that brought him happiness, were not the ones that ease our way in this strange and difficult world.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Local farmers work long hours, often under difficult conditions, to ensure our food supply remains steady.—
Joe Dymek,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Takaichi has proposed tougher policies on immigration and foreigners, something that resonates with a growing frustration in Japan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Bryant was tough to stop and scored nine of her 23 points in the first quarter.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Thus, the article stressed that the Chinese navy must urgently address these risks, offering an unusually detailed proposal for a systematic crash-response plan, drawing lessons from US Navy salvage practices to improve readiness and protect sensitive technology.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
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The Skechers Aero Razor harnesses the explosive benefits of superfoam while maintaining a sensitive, stable ride.—
Cory Smith,
Outside,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Played by more than ten babies at various ages, young Kuula is an unusual child, hairy and large for his age, with an early appetite for meat and a curiously harsh quality to his bawling.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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Looking ahead, the work to safeguard northern hairy-nosed wombats is far from finished.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Neighbor disputes can be sticky, and the one between Fort Worth, Aledo and Willow Park is no exception.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Feb. 2026
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Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Even with regular cleaning, the grids on a waffle maker will develop an oily, sticky residue after a period of time.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Along with the legality of the tariffs, the high court had been expected to decide the thorny question of how to potentially refund the nearly $300 billion collected so far, which the plaintiffs demanded.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
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What of the opinions of a cast as capable and discreet as this one (Florence Hunt rounds out the quartet as Amanda’s teenage daughter) on the thorny nature of the material?—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The actress recently opened up about some of the problematic advice she's received over the years, as well as the shocking suggestion that led her to fire an agent, during a conversation with Eddie Muller at the TCM Classic Film Festival New York Pop-Up.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Inzunza said the lack of clear policies is problematic.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our approaches can be critical, satirical, comical, dramatic, poetic, but will always be complex and complicated.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
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This is a complicated portrait of a person who believed in the good of wild animals and ultimately died as a result.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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