SPINY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

spiny

adjective

ˈspī-nē

Definition of spiny

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spiny While the bloody red shrimp may put pressure on other small lake creatures such as the spiny water flea, the shrimp are also a new source of food for fish, Branstrator said. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 July 2026 The flowers of jimson weeds are white or violet and trumpet-shaped, producing a spiny fruit. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 21 June 2026 In its place urchin barrens now carpet the seafloor; a spiny, silent landscape stripped of life. — Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026 The spiny, long-legged, and often reviled cockroach has become an unlikely symbol of dissent among India’s Gen Z, in a sharp rebuke to the ruling establishment in the world’s largest democracy. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for spiny

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny

Adjective

Walk up to the pastry case and prepare to make some difficult decisions.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Fish can be hard to find and harder to catch this time of year, but American anglers have adapted to difficult fishing conditions.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

North of the Thai capital Bangkok, rice farmers like 55-year-old Boonmark Marksuuk are already facing tough choices.

— EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Zahnd, first elected in 2002, had a career defined by high-profile cases and solidified Platte County’s tough-on-crime reputation.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

The housing market, being the most interest rate sensitive sector, bears the initial brunt of this pressure.

— , CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Saavedra admitted to illegally using his department credentials to access sensitive law enforcement databases on Iza’s behalf.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Hirta is Latin for hairy, and the plant’s stems do feel rough to the touch.

— Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
For millions of years, Pacific mastodons — huge, hairy relatives of modern elephants — roamed a vast and lush range that included California, Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains and parts of Mexico.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

Each offers Braille support, screen magnification, sticky and slow key entry, text narration, and voice input.

— Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Soap/Shampoo Residue While soap and shampoo don’t create dust themselves, their residue creates the perfect sticky place for dust particles to attach to.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of sticky

Adjective

Director Janus Metz Pedersen elides the thornier aspects of Kaczynski’s life and career and instead focuses primarily on his years as a Harvard undergrad, intercutting it with the FBI manhunt that finally brought him to justice in 1996.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
When Bender considers moving to a rival network, Wever fleshes out the tough carapace of a woman who, even under the thorniest of circumstances, never stops calculating her next move.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of thorny

Adjective

Still others are addressing problematic supply chains—recovering and recycling scarce materials, reducing waste, improving traceability, and helping farmers and other suppliers earn a more sustainable living.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
These school bus-sized stages are particularly problematic at altitudes of 840 and 975 km, said LeoLabs space debris expert Darren McKnight.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

There’s a story there, a complicated and disturbing one, but the new Netflix film Unabomber won’t be the one to give it to us.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Those results reflect a complicated and difficult reality in Florida’s insurance marketplace.

— Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

spinsters

spiny

spiral

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“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spiny

adjective

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