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
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
In late November, the annual Anegada Lobster Festival takes the island's year-round lobster love and turns it into an obsession, with local restaurants featuring special dishes and plenty of events making the spiny Anegada lobster the star of the show.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Cleveland Botanical Garden's Glasshouse spotlights plants, insects, birds, and more from the spiny desert of Madagascar and the rainforest of Costa Rica.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
In late November, the annual Anegada Lobster Festival takes the island's year-round lobster love and turns it into an obsession, with local restaurants featuring special dishes and plenty of events making the spiny Anegada lobster the star of the show.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Cleveland Botanical Garden's Glasshouse spotlights plants, insects, birds, and more from the spiny desert of Madagascar and the rainforest of Costa Rica.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an aging population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an aging population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
People had expectations of Mike Myers, because of SNL and Wayne’s World — not everybody was going along with this idea of the bad teeth, hairy body and taking the piss out of Bond.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
Carpet beetle larvae are usually about 1/8-inch long, tan, and covered in hairy bristles.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Certain traps, such as the sticky paper ones, eventually run out of space.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The hot, humid, and sticky weather is expected to continue into Wednesday.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
While almost all parents reported their children were comfortable with their racial identity, navigating around thorny issues was needed.—
Geoffrey Greif,
Baltimore Sun,
11 June 2026
-
Second, deregulation has saved American businesses nearly $1 trillion by cutting costs from thorny and expensive rules.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sorsby’s eligibility situation is unique and problematic.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 June 2026
-
The many communities with aging residents and older homes and road infrastructure in the Bay Area and around the state have heightened risk of both wildfire and problematic evacuations, Wara said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Federal Illegality Complicates What Cannabis Can Do The explanation for cannabis' absence begins with its complicated legal status.—
Peter Su,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Claims About Cycle Syncing Improving Productivity This is where the science gets complicated.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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