variants
or catch-22s
1
as in land mines
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in dilemmas
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in problems
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22's
Noun
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There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025 -
The ninth inning revealed other land mines.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The company applies a sociological attention to the gestures and dilemmas of people’s daily routines; once harvested, these insights are quickly incorporated into product designs.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Here's an outline of some of those moral and ethical dilemmas that appear to be keeping Altman awake at night.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The pocket veto also raises problems relating to the separation of powers.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Are students working on real problems or theoretical exercises?—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Companies see the benefits but also understand the real risks of breaching customer trust, which can include severe reputational and business damage.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The material also strongly repelled chloride ions, cutting corrosion risks.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These may show up in Ukraine before long, perhaps walking ahead of patrols to find booby traps and clear routes through minefields, or taking bullets to expose enemy firing position.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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SaaS giants must avoid these pitfalls by channeling resources into green-light augmentation to ensure adoption and trust.—
Wayne Liu,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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But the search continues, and despite all those pitfalls, hospitals and physicians are using unapproved tests that are available to screen patients, often at exorbitant costs.—
Cory Franklin,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That could provide a backup plan if the state charges hit snags, said Cassell, echoing another famous Utah case.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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Legal challenges are likely, and procedural snags already delayed the Biden-era effort.—
Robert Hoban,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sagapolutele’s top targets have been UNLV senior transfer wide receiver Jacob De Jesus (17 catches, 141 yards, TD), sophomore tight end Mason Mini (13-99, 2 TDs) and senior wide receiver Trond Grizzell (11-175, TD).—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
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Quentin Johnson, a third-year wide receiver who had been considered a disappointment, has 150 yards and three touchdowns on just eight catches this season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Catch-22's.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22%27s. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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