thornier; thorniest
thorniness
noun
Examples of thorny in a Sentence
stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
The fate of TikTok became increasingly wrapped up in sweeping trade talks between Washington and Beijing that include strategically thorny topics like tariffs, microchips, rare earth minerals and China's export of chemicals used to make the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
—
John Ruwitch, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The crypto market has added new dynamics to those thorny issues in the decades that followed.
—Chris Groshong, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But that would create a thorny conflict of interest for Denholm and her fellow directors, with Musk seeking — not for the first time — to use Tesla to subsidize one of his less-profitable ventures.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Redford’s rise to the top was all the more remarkable given his penchant for characters who were aloof, sardonic, even thorny.
—Steve Chagollan, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
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John Ruwitch, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The crypto market has added new dynamics to those thorny issues in the decades that followed.
—Chris Groshong, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But that would create a thorny conflict of interest for Denholm and her fellow directors, with Musk seeking — not for the first time — to use Tesla to subsidize one of his less-profitable ventures.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Redford’s rise to the top was all the more remarkable given his penchant for characters who were aloof, sardonic, even thorny.
—Steve Chagollan, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorny. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thorny
adjective
thornier; thorniest
1
: full of or covered with thorns
thorny rose bushes
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny problem
thorniness
noun
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