1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
For the time being, then, a free-world strategy can’t liberate the United States from ongoing engagement, and perhaps ticklish compromises, with key autocracies that have a foot in both camps.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022
From celebrities to brands and many other users across the platform, folks chimed in to share their despair with Hollywood’s most ticklish friend.
—Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Rubbing underarm is selected as a target motion of robot because previous research suggests that this is the best way for making humans feel ticklish.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
For the time being, then, a free-world strategy can’t liberate the United States from ongoing engagement, and perhaps ticklish compromises, with key autocracies that have a foot in both camps.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022
From celebrities to brands and many other users across the platform, folks chimed in to share their despair with Hollywood’s most ticklish friend.
—Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Rubbing underarm is selected as a target motion of robot because previous research suggests that this is the best way for making humans feel ticklish.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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The commission said the report overlooks other time-sensitive cases that don't require intake appointments.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cold conditions may damage or kill sensitive crops, plants, and vegetation if appropriate precautions are not taken.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
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The two were spotted closely talking and being touchy at the event and videos quickly surfaced of their flirty encounter.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Going through a severe injury is probably the toughest thing an athlete can go through.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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More companies are dialing back flexible work schedules and mandating that employees return to the office part-time or full-time, forcing women into tough situations.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On the contrary, Juventus’ football soothed even the most irritable sections of the crowd.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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This can include feeling irritable, having a low frustration tolerance, feeling easily overstimulated, and having rapid shifts in emotion.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The city’s journey toward sustainability is complicated.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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The near-perfect dish was simple and not overly complicated.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hallmarks of the best Halloween travel destinations usually entail a moody fall landscape, local legends that involve a tetchy ghost, vampire, or other variety of ominous being, and themed activities like pumpkin patches and cemetery tours.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
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Reynolds is a tetchy tyrant, who, enabled by his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville), has embraced a need to have things just so as a means of warding off vulnerability.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At supersonic speeds, this is incredibly problematic.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
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Ignore areas that look problematic.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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