spinier; spiniest
1
: abounding with difficulties, obstacles, or annoyances : thorny
spiny problems
2
: covered or armed with spines
broadly
: bearing spines, prickles, or thorns
3
: slender and pointed like a spine
spininess
noun
Synonyms of spiny
Examples of spiny in a Sentence
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
Recent Examples on the Web
If a creature is small enough to swallow and not spiny or sticky or otherwise resists Yoshi's tongue, it will be turned into a green egg that's the series standard.
—
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
Most easily accessible by shelling tours or boat tours, Ten Thousand Islands is a good place to find the scarce Junonia shell, known as the Jewel of Florida, along with whole sand dollars, Florida spiny jewel boxes, and lightning whelks.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
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Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
Most easily accessible by shelling tours or boat tours, Ten Thousand Islands is a good place to find the scarce Junonia shell, known as the Jewel of Florida, along with whole sand dollars, Florida spiny jewel boxes, and lightning whelks.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiny. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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