as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with both sets of in-laws insisting that we spend Thanksgiving with them, we were on a sticky wicket indeed
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Recent Examples of sticky wicket
Of philosophy’s many sticky wickets, consciousness is perhaps the most perplexing.
—
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wicket
Noun
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Belgium’s Jeremy Doku is due to become a father for the first time while the World Cup is still on and wants to be at the birth, creating a potential dilemma for the team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
-
For Meloni, the dilemma is strategic.—
Giada Zampano,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The Riverdale alum explains his character's complicated predicament, which leads to his unraveling.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 June 2026
-
That would have been a real predicament.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Noun
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In general, fermented foods like natto, pickles, and vegetables are a staple of Japanese dining culture.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
13 June 2026
-
Siazon decided to turn a childhood memory of making pickles with her family into a viable business.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Options for family fun range from tennis and pickleball courts, croquet lawns, and two 18-hole golf courses to a seasonal outdoor pool with a waterslide and splash pad.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
The Braves’ hot start has covered over some holes.—
Jim Bowden,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The polyphenols and tannins in coffee bind to iron in the digestive tract and block it from being absorbed.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
Boston Bruins The Bruins are stuck in somewhat of a bind.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Chris is a freelance journalist who, when not writing or falling further down the Lego rabbit hole, indulges his taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
15 June 2026
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That level of detail means even the smallest uncertainty can send her down a research rabbit hole.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
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These many watering holes are reflective of the Lone Star state's varied geographic regions, from bald cypress swamps to mountainous desert lakes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Bright orange milkweed aphids (Aphis nerii) usually emerge toward the end of summer and feed in clusters on the stems and leaves of common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and other milkweed plants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sticky wicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wicket. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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