as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
The dunes sagebrush lizard, also known as the sand dune lizard, is a spiny creature native to dunelands and shrublands in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.
—
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024
English Holly The most popular type of holly seen during the holidays is English holly (Ilex aquifolium), distinguished by its spiny evergreen leaves in deep glossy green or green edged in gold.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Unlike the common carp, which has a long spiny dorsal fin and a whiskerlike barbel near its mouth, the white amur has a short dorsal fin with no spines.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024
These spiny mammals are members of the Erinaceidae family and date back approximately 15 million years ago.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny 
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024
English Holly The most popular type of holly seen during the holidays is English holly (Ilex aquifolium), distinguished by its spiny evergreen leaves in deep glossy green or green edged in gold.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Unlike the common carp, which has a long spiny dorsal fin and a whiskerlike barbel near its mouth, the white amur has a short dorsal fin with no spines.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024
These spiny mammals are members of the Erinaceidae family and date back approximately 15 million years ago.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Nevertheless, the offer could make OpenAI’s reorganization plans more difficult – and significantly more expensive.—
David Goldman,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
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The only thing that could make persuading a group of pandemic skeptics to care about an infectious-disease outbreak more difficult is your boss—the president of the United States—undercutting your raison d’être.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Both are now promising to stand up to Trump and make tough decisions to make Canada more resilient.—
Stephen Maher,
TIME,
15 Feb. 2025
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His positioning and angles are second to none, making tough saves look easy on a nightly basis in the NHL.—
Jesse Granger,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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State of play: Immigration officials can raid churches and schools to arrest undocumented immigrants after the Trump administration scrapped a policy that protected sensitive spaces, Axios' April Rubin writes.—
Alex Golden,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
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The suit filed Tuesday is the second from a religious group to challenge the Trump administration's lifting of the sensitive locations policy.—
Sarah Ventre,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Key Ingredients: Basil leaf hairy root blend, sunflower oil, baobab oil Type: Pre-wash oil Best For: Dry scalp, product build-up, all hair textures Size: 3 oz.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2025
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However, plants with hairy leaves or plants in soilless mixes may do better by being watered from the bottom.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The hit dating series promises some drama this season as the trailer shows contestants in some seemingly sticky situations.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2025
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Opting for too many chemicals can leave surfaces sticky in the best of scenarios and create dangerous fumes in the worst of scenarios.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Join Our Other Game Discussions Want to be part of the conversation about New York Times Games, or maybe get some help with a particularly thorny puzzle?—
Deb Amlen,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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My colleague Rebecca Ellis tackled that thorny conundrum.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Experts warn that deep spending cuts could prove problematic, given that about two-thirds of government spending is directed toward Social Security, Medicare, national defense and Medicaid.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2025
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The post, which features an image of the problematic homework question, has been upvoted more than 27,000 times on the platform.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Their final conflict goes down on Silver’s yacht in the middle of the open water, as Silver ridicules Kreese for his complicated relationship with Johnny.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
15 Feb. 2025
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Construed as a pedagogical exercise more than entertainment, the film offers a deep reading into the complicated plurality of the populace that constitutes nations such as Germany.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near spiny
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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