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
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
Dramatic red flowers, which are known as calyxes, feature soft, spiny petals that are both elegant and a little bit scary.
—Maggie Heyn Richardson, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for spiny
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
Dramatic red flowers, which are known as calyxes, feature soft, spiny petals that are both elegant and a little bit scary.
—Maggie Heyn Richardson, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
These events encourage community members to dispose of hazardous materials like gasoline, oil, chemicals, and more, which can be difficult to dispose of and pose a safety risk if not handled correctly.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Don't Look Now manipulates audiences' minds, mixing elements of the occult with the overwhelming need for hope into a plot twist audiences will find difficult to swallow.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Falcons' offense has emerged as one of the toughest in the league, causing multiple turnovers a game.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
How self-reflection operates matters because it will always be needed to make wiser choices about our toughest challenges.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Avoid posting sensitive information like travel plans, birthdays or financial updates on social media.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to awakening her creativity, the potion also unleashes a number of dark monsters that inhabit her subconscious, one of which is her mother, who appears transformed into a hairy monster that Mia is forced to confront.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
-
However, plants with hairy leaves or plants in soilless mixes may do better by being watered from the bottom.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Blot wet spills instead of rubbing, and vacuum crumbs and dirt, which can be abrasive and weaken fibers, become ground into the carpet, and cause a sticky residue if left for too long.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The bee mushroom, which is hairy and striped like a bee, turns Mario into bee Mario, who can fly and climb on sticky honey walls.—
Matt Kasson,
Popular Science,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps one of the thorniest issues to fully ending the conflict remains the establishment of a Palestinian state.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
-
But with those steps completed, several thorny issues loom.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This lack of representation is problematic for people of different ancestries because genetic risk factors differ across populations.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
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As good as Oakley is, Trigg is on another tier and could prove problematic in the middle of the field.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One of Puth’s greatest talents is constructing songs that sound simple but are powered by dynamic chord switches and deceptively complicated harmonies.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The Jets' situation is a little more complicated than that Detroit team.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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