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
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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Age is also a risk factor — older adults may already have issues with sleep due to existing health conditions, medications and chronic pain, and so may be especially sensitive to additional stress.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
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However, how much caffeine is tolerable can vary from person to person, and some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others.—
Emily Brown, MPH,
Verywell Health,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As college sports continues its rapid professionalization, the ACC is in a difficult spot.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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In an era that would otherwise be dominated by the same handful of rich, powerful clubs, disruption — different names challenging for and winning the prizes — has never been more difficult or more important.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In his acceptance speech for winning best director, Baker issued a call to arms over the touchy subject of how long a title plays exclusively in theaters before going to homes.—
Pamela McClintock,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
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And others point out that targeting churches, temples and other religious institution remains a politically touchy issue.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Schneider wants to take calculated risks in free agency, but that can be tough to do when Seattle is one of many teams needing interior offensive upgrades.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
The Athletic,
11 Mar. 2025
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The New York Fed survey of consumer expectations showed respondents believe tougher economic conditions are ahead.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Though most people benefit from eating more fiber, some may need to temporarily reduce their fiber intake to help their digestive system heal, such as during a flare-up of irritable bowel disease (IBD), diverticulitis, or Crohn’s disease.4 3.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
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Scheer was smart to whittle down the novel’s winding sentences into short, sharp exclamations and curt instructions — and also to be faithful to Melville’s rendition of the captain’s irritable diction.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Read more Tesla's share price recovers ground after tetchy start Elon Musk's claims linking Ukraine to X outage spark backlash You're Fired!—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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That rivalry carried over into the UFC as Tate and Rousey coached against each other in a tetchy season of The Ultimate Fighter before Rousey defeated Tate via third-round armbar to retain her UFC bantamweight title at UFC 168.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Some of this ‘fresh stock’ is explained by such properties having hit an ancestral dead-end: many villas have been handed down through local families for generations and some are now owned by multiple grandchildren who would prefer to sell than manage a complicated ‘who stays when’ calendar.—
Lysanne Currie,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Carell and Horgan’s HBO series Set on a college campus, the untitled Steve Carell comedy from Lawrence and Matt Tarses, which is slated to start production next month, centers on an author’s (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Fake or illegitimate reviews plague the internet, and such reviews are particularly problematic within fintechs, where customer trust is imperative to ensure confidence in services tied to sensitive information, such as your banking details or other personally identifiable information.—
Branden Abushanab,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Other areas where eclipse weather will be problematic will be near and along the Pacific coast of Washington, Oregon, and northern and central California where a marine layer of low clouds will be in place at eclipse time.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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