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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

With the balance of power in Tallahassee at stake, Miami’s Republican state senators fended off tough challenges Tuesday night, while Democratic candidates flipped several South Florida state House seats for the minority party in Florida’s capital.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Whoever wins the contest will be stepping into one of the California’s toughest political jobs.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

State officials had provided a version of the rolls that withheld such sensitive personal information, citing privacy concerns.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
An Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media or to discuss sensitive operational matters, also confirmed the withdrawal.

— Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Two portraits of a woman thought to be Isabella—one by the painter Lorenzo Costa, another attributed to Il Cavazzola or Giulio Campi—depict her with a hairy little white dog, who was perhaps Aura, or, if not, one of her relatives.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
This is executed through the use of varying shades of gray throughout the Field Boot’s upper, which combines a nubuck base with hairy suede overlays and a padded calf leather collar.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of hairy

Adjective

Unfortunately for us, those tenants have evolved a sticky knack for evading eviction, creating a webbing known as biofilm that prevents them from being easily licked or swallowed away.

— Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Mosquito repellent patches or stickers, often marketed to parents of young children, claim less mess and more convenience than cumbersome, sticky insect repellent sprays and lotions.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of sticky

Adjective

This more senior lineup could indicate that Moscow is readier than before to address thorny political and military questions.

— Willem Marx, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026
Differences with Iran over its nuclear program remain the thorniest issue and one that Trump insists must be resolved as part of any deal meant to end the more than 8-month-old war.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of thorny

Adjective

What emerges from Carrère’s excavation of his mother’s past is a strikingly nuanced portrait of a brilliant, problematic scholar.

— Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Many legal experts, as well as the European Commission and the EU's top court, agree that reforms to the justice system introduced by PiS while in power were highly problematic.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

But if the aircraft also loses access to reliable navigation data, the situation can become considerably more complicated.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
But at the same time, domestic attacks involving guns have increased this year, leaving law enforcement, advocates and other criminal justice stakeholders taking stock of a complicated year.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

spinsters

spiny

spiral

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spiny

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

valorous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes