Thesaurus results for STICKY WICKET

sticky wicket

noun

Definition of sticky wicket

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

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 sticky wicket The sticky wicket, which has been the stickiest for AI-tech megacaps, is investor angst around capital expenditures and a sluggish pace of return that could send the stock on a nosedive. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 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 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 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 In contrast, altering and editing an image can be a much more nuanced process that makes determining what part is from humans a sticky wicket. — Drew McLellan, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wicket

Noun

The Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite posed a profound dilemma for NATO.

— Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
The dilemma reveals one of the structural flaws in American healthcare.

— Dylan Scott, Vox, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilemma

Noun

The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Through one dangerous predicament after another, his stunt work reveals a performer who seems entirely comfortable in his own skin.

— Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of predicament

Noun

Sauces and pickles checked in the walk-in cooler are at 42 degrees.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Recently a box showcased sweet, custardy amaebi, salmon belly, chum ikura, uni, toro, Hokkaido hotate, octopus and kizami wasabi adorned with various flowers and pickles.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of pickle

Noun

His unit had shown holes in the secondary, ranking 131st in the country in pass defense.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Joe Jackson ran for 159 yards and a touchdown, Avery Johnson threw for 203 yards and another score, and the Wildcats overcame a multitude of mistakes while rallying from an early 10-point hole to keep nearly two decades of dominance going.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of hole

Noun

More recently, in 2023, Belarusian embassies abroad stopped extending or renewing passports entirely, putting dissidents who fled the country in a similar bind to those from Myanmar.

— Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
Feasting on neutrality Few illustrate the current bind better than Caitlin Clark.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of bind

Noun

The rain is expected to stop by kickoff, but not after nearly 24 hours of it, which may have turned the grass surface of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium into a swamp (it is equipped with quite the advanced draining system).

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Del Rey’s husband, Jeremy Dufrene, will even have a bit role as Mud Dog Mike, Back Country Radio’s roving reporter, swamp meteorologist, and airboat captain (which Dufrene is in real life).

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of swamp

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sticky wicket

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“Sticky wicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wicket. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sticky wicket

noun

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