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as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidate tried to avoid discussing his views on the thorny issue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thorny
One of the thorniest recent issues for these senators was their decisions on some of Trump’s most controversial nominees, including Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FBI Director Kash Patel.
—
Jared Gans, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
When he was first announced as USC’s starting quarterback last November, Jayden Maiava stepped into a pretty thorny situation.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
That momentum continues today with the announcement of a $21 million Series A by Layer Health, an ambitious healthcare AI startup aiming to tackle some of the sector’s thorniest issues and overcome the industry’s biggest barriers to growth.
—Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This issue — allowing House members who recently had children to vote by proxy — is politically thorny, with Johnson positioning himself firmly against allowing any form of proxy voting.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Jared Gans, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
When he was first announced as USC’s starting quarterback last November, Jayden Maiava stepped into a pretty thorny situation.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
That momentum continues today with the announcement of a $21 million Series A by Layer Health, an ambitious healthcare AI startup aiming to tackle some of the sector’s thorniest issues and overcome the industry’s biggest barriers to growth.
—Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This issue — allowing House members who recently had children to vote by proxy — is politically thorny, with Johnson positioning himself firmly against allowing any form of proxy voting.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
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As in so many shows about big conspiracies, Dope Thief’s pacing gets a bit jagged toward the end of its eight episodes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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Mix grains of cobalt, mined in Labrador, with potash, quarried in Saskatchewan, and whisks of beaver tail, all of it steeped over sharp, jagged Yukon ice.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The designer teased that there will be sultry, body-hugging looks with prickly prints and comfy, padded pieces.—
Tianwei Zhang,
WWD,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Zegler brings a fresh, prickly energy to the timeless character.—
Staff Author,
EW.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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On the other side, the Grizzlies had an even tougher time with Curry, who finished with 52 points on 16-of-31 shooting.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It’s made from a soft alpaca wool blend, which adds tons of warmth without feeling hot or scratchy.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2025
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Allergic reactions can include a scratchy throat, watery eyes, itchy skin, runny nose, and sneezing.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Concerns have been raised about DOGE operatives, many with ties to Musk's companies, gaining access to sensitive government data without adequate oversight or experience.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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Cooling, calming, and tailor-made for sensitive skin, this mask drapes delicately across your face to deliver a serious hit of cica (Centella asiatica) and allantoin—soothing redness and dryness in minutes.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Building a Sustainable Future Compression of organizational hierarchies isn't inherently problematic, but the failure to address the human and operational needs that middle managers traditionally meet certainly is.—
Tracy Lawrence,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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This could be problematic when vitamin B12 deficiency persists, resulting in neurological damage.1 Vitamin B12 is more common in older adults.—
Jennifer Lefton, MS, RD/N, CNSC, FAND,
Verywell Health,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump and Zuckerberg have a complicated history, with the president being critical of the Silicon Valley CEO's management of online censorship, which culminated in a ban from Meta platforms after the January 6 riots.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Oversharing and going dark are hazards of the moon’s complicated clash with Jupiter.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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