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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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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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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Read the full Virgo Daily Horoscope Libra (September 23 - October 22) Relationships can be touchy today.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
31 Dec. 2024
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Problems in Pennsylvania Pennsylvanians had already revealed themselves to be touchy about federal tax obligations.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes,
9 Dec. 2024
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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This misalignment impairs your sleep and concentration, and can leave you feeling irritable.—
Mackenzie Gamble,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2025
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Here’s one way to take your mind off a certain election that seems to have everyone tense and irritable these days — consider that Tahoe ski season is almost here.—
Randy McMullen,
The Mercury News,
31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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When Southampton’s Duje Caleta-Car was dismissed in January 2023 in the first leg of a tetchy Carabao Cup semi-final, Murphy waved him on his way.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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Boos rang around an increasingly tetchy Goodison at the end of Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Brentford, a game in which Everton had a player advantage for 56 minutes including additional time but could not muster enough quality to win.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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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
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near ticklish
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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