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
Asked about his uni ice cream plate, Arizmendi said that was the kind of dish intended to challenge the diner’s idea of the taste and texture of the spiny shellfish.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Male and female Pham Anh’s spiny frogs vary slightly, researchers said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Scientists thought these spiky bits might be spiny scales, like those found on the bodies of rays and sharks.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Residents in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been reporting sightings of wild rabbits with tentacle-like, black spiny growths around their mouths and faces, according to the local news station WFSB.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Male and female Pham Anh’s spiny frogs vary slightly, researchers said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Scientists thought these spiky bits might be spiny scales, like those found on the bodies of rays and sharks.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Residents in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been reporting sightings of wild rabbits with tentacle-like, black spiny growths around their mouths and faces, according to the local news station WFSB.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This leads to families having to make tough decisions, said Cindy Kincaid, family caregiver program manager at Centralina Regional Council.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
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She's been amazing, a sort of brutal support, tough lover, very educational.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The commission said the report overlooks other time-sensitive cases that don't require intake appointments.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Cold conditions may damage or kill sensitive crops, plants, and vegetation if appropriate precautions are not taken.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Things became so hairy that Ghost City Tours, which hosted events featuring Annabelle, released a statement confirming that Annabelle had nothing to do with the fire.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
27 Dec. 2025
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In October, for his first collection as the designer of Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink put models in hairy trompe-l’œil-style catsuits, while Kim Kardashian — who last year first teased us with a Skims faux fur bikini — fully committed with a range of merkins in various shades and hair types.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Cramer said strong signs from forwarding holiday spending suggest inflation may remain sticky, setting up tension between a president eager to contain prices and consumers who have borne the brunt of inflation.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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To keep a tension rod from slipping, look for rods that have rubber stoppers on the ends or that come with sticky wall brackets.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Solving the energy and water issues, and then convincing the public, are thorny problems.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement The United Nations still plays an important role as a neutral third party or referee in resolving thorny international disputes but its role in peace-making and mediation has diminished significantly.—
Galip Dalay,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Those costs, Adler said, include slowing down response times, increasing the number of computations and sometimes the model rejecting non-problematic requests.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Sabres run into some significant issues down the lineup — upgrading the fourth line should be among Kekäläinen’s most pressing priorities between now and the trade deadline — but young centre Noah Ostlund has helped give Buffalo’s usually problematic fourth line some connective heft and floor.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But, the good news is that cleaning shower grout isn't complicated.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
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So there are a lot of complicated emotions and a mixture of emotions happening, as well as gestures.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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