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2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidate tried to avoid discussing his views on the thorny issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thorny
Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
In the second validation study, a team led by microbiologists José Penadés and Tiago Costa at Imperial College London challenged the AI co-scientist with a thorny question about bacterial evolution.
—Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025
Still, any gun training class will have to land on some key answers to thorny questions that will crop up from trainees.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Beyond genre, category placement decisions remain thorny, particularly when two romantic leads must decide whether to split the lead and supporting roles.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
In the second validation study, a team led by microbiologists José Penadés and Tiago Costa at Imperial College London challenged the AI co-scientist with a thorny question about bacterial evolution.
—Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025
Still, any gun training class will have to land on some key answers to thorny questions that will crop up from trainees.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Beyond genre, category placement decisions remain thorny, particularly when two romantic leads must decide whether to split the lead and supporting roles.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
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Above the tree line, the landscape changes completely with alpine tundra, jagged peaks jutting out in the distance, and skies that seem impossibly close.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
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The video — which has since been taken down by the TikToker, who issued an apology — captured his final moments after Miller reached the summit and then had trouble getting his gear bag unstuck on a jagged edge below.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Travel could be very difficult to impossible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Robert is an accomplished but headstrong gastroenterologist whose demeanor makes Martin’s prickly bedside manner seem warm by comparison.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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Glenn took offense to the question, giving a prickly response.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The end result of a tough negotiation that included a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter in 2023 was a much closer working relationship between the two.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Just a week after giving birth, Menish took her six-hour Evidence exam from home in December 2023 — one of the toughest finals in the curriculum.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Thousands of shining reviews tout the area rug’s durability, color saturation, and feel underfoot—a high-quality weave that’s soft without being scratchy.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
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Hailing from South East London, the 24-year-old introduced herself voice first — scratchy but honeyed, and impossible to ignore.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Avoid posting sensitive information like travel plans, birthdays or financial updates on social media.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The city has had too many scandals and problematic politicians who have not attached crucial sectors of our city.—
Miami Herald Staff,
Miami Herald,
8 Oct. 2025
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And most boys — 69% — also regularly see content promoting gender roles in problematic ways, such as posts suggesting girls prefer to date a particular kind of guy or use their looks to achieve their goals, according to the survey.—
Kara Alaimo,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, parlay bets are getting more complicated as time goes on, decreasing the chances of winning.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
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Peter Hedges’s drama about a young recovering addict (Lucas Hedges) coming back unannounced to his family starts off promisingly, with Roberts’s supportive but wary character trying to manage her complicated feelings about her son’s return.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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