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
The spiny creatures are massive grazers of kelp forests, which are crucial members of marine ecosystems, Gehman says.
—
Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2025
There are also the Mobius strip cuff links crafted from all-silver or interwoven yellow-gold, rhodium and black ruthenium or semiprecious chrysocolla or spiny oyster.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 1 Aug. 2025
The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
—Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
The Caribbean lobster that lives in the waters off of Anegada are spiny, lack claws and are smaller than their Maine counterparts.
—Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2025
There are also the Mobius strip cuff links crafted from all-silver or interwoven yellow-gold, rhodium and black ruthenium or semiprecious chrysocolla or spiny oyster.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 1 Aug. 2025
The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
—Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
The Caribbean lobster that lives in the waters off of Anegada are spiny, lack claws and are smaller than their Maine counterparts.
—Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Windows 11 Pro gives you BitLocker encryption, Smart App Control, and biometric login support to help safeguard sensitive information.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Phishing scams often use convincing logos and language to trick you into revealing sensitive information.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Edible insects in the form of wriggling maggots or hairy caterpillars are both delicacy and staple in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a central African nation of nearly 120 million people.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
20 Sep. 2025
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Once Upon a Brick — Wolf Guy gets himself into a hairy situation in this howling comedy.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Its sheer pink hue and non-sticky texture check all my boxes.—
Sarah Hoffmann,
Allure,
3 Oct. 2025
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That commitment was further emphasized by the addition of Reed, who replaced another sticky corner in Carlton Davis III.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The plan treads lightly on thornier topics, like the role of the Palestinian Authority, The New York Times noted.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But it’s proved to be especially problematic at a time when the typical student body is growing academically weaker.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
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No two players better personified Houston’s problematic response to injuries than Alvarez and center fielder Jake Meyers, who injured himself on July 9 while running out to his position before first pitch.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Moscow has denied involvement, and security analysts caution that attribution is complicated.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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On a journey spanning four continents, the Kohlers will battle physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, navigate the complicated world of visas and hopefully break three world records in the process.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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