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
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Recent Examples of sticky wickets
Of philosophy’s many sticky wickets, consciousness is perhaps the most perplexing.
—
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wickets
Noun
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Also new is the Bacon Onion Jam Smashburger, a Black Angus beef burger with Nashville hot rub, white American cheese, pickles, bacon chipotle onion jam, shredded lettuce, El Gallo BBQ sauce and miso ranch served on a King’s Hawaiian bun.—
Richard Guzman,
Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
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The menu is tight, just roast chicken shiitake-ginger sauce and fried chicken with cucumber-radish pickles.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
12 Mar. 2026
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During a week-long recuperation, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite the par-5s making up just 12 of the 54 holes Åberg has played this week, more than 50 percent of his strokes gained against the field have come there.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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Ludvig Aberg was the model of control at The Players Championship, in the lead for 36 consecutive holes and marching to what looked to be a methodical win on the TPC Sawgrass.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These mammals are found across North America, residing in every kind of habitat from hardwood forests to coastal plains to swamps.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
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The Tibet-Butler Preserve boasts boardwalks and sandy trails that wind through pine forests, cypress swamps, and lakeside habitats.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sticky wickets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wickets. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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