sticky wickets

noun

plural of sticky wicket
as in pickles
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 wickets Of philosophy’s many sticky wickets, consciousness is perhaps the most perplexing. — Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wickets
  1. pickles
  2. dilemmas
  3. predicaments
  4. holes
  5. swamps
Noun
  • The platter comes with a table-full of colorful salads and dips, including pickles and olives imported from Israel.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • These items include Shake Shack’s West Coast burger, served with Angus beef, American cheese, caramelized onions and pickles dipped in honey mustard on a potato bun.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of pickles
Noun
  • Posthumous publishing comes with its fair share of ethical dilemmas.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 24 July 2026
  • Expect plenty of action, interpersonal tensions and philosophical dilemmas around destiny and morality.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of dilemmas
Noun
  • Rather than bridging shortfalls, both Seattle and Washington now face more difficult fiscal predicaments, Joblon said.
    — Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
  • The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of predicaments
Noun
  • The tournament promises an exciting conclusion with 36 holes still to play.
    — Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Tony Finau trailed Scott Piercy by five shots with 11 holes to play on Sunday in 2022.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 July 2026
Definition of holes
Noun
  • Some people see swamps as sloughs of despond; dark, miasmic places filled with creepy, shadowy creatures.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • The retaliation works, and soon Cole and his men are marching on foot, scrabbling their way through thickets and swamps.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of swamps

Browse Nearby Words

sticky wicket
sticky wickets
sties
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Cite this Entry

“Sticky wickets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wickets. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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