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
Its canes are reddish in color and covered with spiny thorns.
—
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
But golden spiny mice have made some adaptations that give them a better chance at longer life.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The physical description evokes a compact, spiny, wide-eyed animal — the kind of species that would stand out immediately in a field encounter.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
But golden spiny mice have made some adaptations that give them a better chance at longer life.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The physical description evokes a compact, spiny, wide-eyed animal — the kind of species that would stand out immediately in a field encounter.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
The Aces scored 26 points off those giveaways, which made things even more difficult on the defense.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Schiraldi oversaw a particularly difficult period on Rikers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film opens with its shy, sensitive twentysomething protagonist, Bear, struggling to confess his feelings for his childhood friend, Nikki.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Under Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao, China was more focused on economic integration and more sensitive to its international reputation, said Genser, who helped win another activist's freedom in 2007.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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Key differences include hollow versus solid stems, branched versus single stems and hairy versus smooth leaves.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok has warned the combination of tariffs, sticky inflation, and slowing growth can create a stagflation-like setup, one that would be hostile to both markets and consumers.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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These lush new takes on disco and new wave are still engineered for an arms-up release, but introduce thornier emotional themes with a fresh dose of uninhibitedness.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
If California can’t take care of its citizens first, that’s problematic.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Tight waterways also make escorting convoys problematic, as there is little room to maneuver to avoid threats.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
June 21 – July 22 A thoughtful conversation helps something complicated feel easier today.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Her complicated relationship with her parents and being an only child adds to it, as does becoming a mother for the first time.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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