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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
The result of billions of years of micrometeorite impacts on the lunar surface and lack of water on the Moon has left this dust with jagged, razor-sharp shapes and the constant bombardment by cosmic rays has given each particle an electrostatic charge.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
1 Apr. 2025
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Rescue workers in other parts of the country dug through piles of twisted rebar and jagged concrete where buildings had been destroyed.—
Sui-Lee Wee,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 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
-
On others, such as birthright citizenship, the Administration has a tougher path to victory.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
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After some tough matchups in the Trader Joe’s Elite Sweets Tournament, one classic emerged as the champion.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Warm beverages with cannabis extracts may soothe scratchy throats while providing hydration.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Scratchy or Sore Throat The common cold can cause a scratchy or sore throat (pharyngitis), which usually resolves on its own within one week.—
Lauren Schlanger,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The rise in interest rates and inflation could dampen the growth prospects of shale oil producers, particularly smaller companies that are highly sensitive to borrowing costs.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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The business is also highly sensitive to energy prices and bitcoin price, two areas the president is able to influence through policy.—
Pete Gannon,
Axios,
31 Mar. 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 is especially problematic if, in these precarious times, their contacts are all similar to them.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump’s tariffs aim to bring jobs and factories back to the U.S., but the reality is more complicated.—
Bruce Gil,
Quartz,
4 Apr. 2025
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Back in 2021, the starlet opened up about those complicated early days following Angel’s birth.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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