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 physical description evokes a compact, spiny, wide-eyed animal — the kind of species that would stand out immediately in a field encounter.
—
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
The robust green plant was the centerpiece of a garden that includes smaller, greener elephant’s trunk agaves, spiny South African bitter aloe, and the Madagascan Aloe imalotensis.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
In spring, holly is especially important—its spiny or thick foliage provides a safe, predator-resistant space for squirrels and small mammals to raise their young.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
One is the ornate mausoleum of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which features a huge golden dome and four spiny minarets visible for miles, a sprawling parking lot with space for twenty thousand vehicles, and a mall of souvenir shops and kebab restaurants.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
The robust green plant was the centerpiece of a garden that includes smaller, greener elephant’s trunk agaves, spiny South African bitter aloe, and the Madagascan Aloe imalotensis.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
In spring, holly is especially important—its spiny or thick foliage provides a safe, predator-resistant space for squirrels and small mammals to raise their young.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
One is the ornate mausoleum of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which features a huge golden dome and four spiny minarets visible for miles, a sprawling parking lot with space for twenty thousand vehicles, and a mall of souvenir shops and kebab restaurants.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Anyone who has seen the way the space works today can recognize that there are a lot of families who find this very, very difficult right now.—
Anna Moeslein,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
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Demonstrating that was difficult due to natural fluctuations in temperatures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In 2008, Klay Thompson of Santa Margarita scored 37 points and made a record seven three-pointers at the notoriously tough Arco Arena in Sacramento to help the Eagles win the Division III title over Sacramento 72-55.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Punch made multiple tough baskets and got to the free-throw line as the Jayhawks struggled with his physicality.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Fears around migration in Turkey Migration is a sensitive topic in Turkey, which at one point was hosting nearly 4 million Syrian refugees.—
Serra Yedikardes,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Australia’s policy-sensitive three-year yield climbed to its highest level since 2011, while German bund futures slid to an almost 15-year low.—
Marcus Wong,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Poison hemlock, unlike Queen Anne’s Lace, has a smooth, not hairy stem.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
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To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When slicked with oil over high heat, the morsels crisp into a textural marvel, jumping a long way from their original sticky form.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
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Brewing economic conditions suggest, however, that when Warsh takes office, presumably in May, central bank policymakers could be facing both a wobbly jobs picture and sticky inflation made worse by spiraling energy prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some local industry professionals have suggested to Deadline that the issue of the recommendations could still prove thorny down the line, even if Tuttle’s uptake of them would be voluntary.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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What about the thorny question of whether the semi-finals should be held at Wembley?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Market concentration is not inherently problematic.—
Svetla Ben-Itzhak,
Space.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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Their bond is forged when the children’s TV show host helps the jaded journalist navigate a difficult relationship with his problematic father.—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Daylight saving time is meant to provide extra sunlight during the spring, summer and fall seasons, but in Indiana, there's a very complicated past with DST.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
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But neither records nor details about their release have surfaced, underscoring how complicated such disclosures can be.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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