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
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
In late November, the annual Anegada Lobster Festival takes the island's year-round lobster love and turns it into an obsession, with local restaurants featuring special dishes and plenty of events making the spiny Anegada lobster the star of the show.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Cleveland Botanical Garden's Glasshouse spotlights plants, insects, birds, and more from the spiny desert of Madagascar and the rainforest of Costa Rica.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
In late November, the annual Anegada Lobster Festival takes the island's year-round lobster love and turns it into an obsession, with local restaurants featuring special dishes and plenty of events making the spiny Anegada lobster the star of the show.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Cleveland Botanical Garden's Glasshouse spotlights plants, insects, birds, and more from the spiny desert of Madagascar and the rainforest of Costa Rica.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
That was so tragic, so difficult for Prince William and Prince Harry which has stayed with them.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Every business leader waiting for a difficult market to come around should pay attention to what happened in Seoul.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Exfoliating sensitive skin, like mine, is a delicate dance.—
Christina Oehler,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
-
With that in mind, the experts advise introducing the formula gradually, especially for those with sensitive skin.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some plants don’t interest them as much, especially plants with hairy or fuzzy leaves or that are strongly scented.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 May 2026
-
The more popular Australian and New Zealand tree ferns, with their hairy trunks, get tired looking after a while, even while the giant chain fern expands radially into a huge clump with leaves up to 5 feet tall or taller.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
But when rains fall heavily between November and April, sticky clay soils make traveling around it tricky.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
One non-stick skillet for delicate foods (eggs, omelets, fish) and sticky batters (pancakes).—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The much thornier issues involving Iran's nuclear capacity would be addressed during the 60-day ceasefire.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Mina the Hollower blends elements of retro Zelda adventures like Link’s Awakening with more modern games like Elden Ring, and randomizing things in Mina’s world provides some thorny challenges right from the start.—
Jay Peters,
The Verge,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Oil prices have risen, but the market continues to behave as though the disruption will be resolved before inventories become truly problematic.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Certain foods, like fruit or milk, that naturally have carbs present are not problematic.—
Jennifer Lefton,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Removing barriers for non-traditional students like prohibitive costs or complicated admissions and financial aid processes is one way to improve access, said Lane, who helps create the commission’s enrollment reports.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Several of them had taken part in the complicated 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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