1
as in problems
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
faced with a dilemma of whether to risk continuing to drive in the dangerous storm or to give up searching for the lost dog and hope he survived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in predicaments
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with home prices in a free fall, sellers were in a terrible dilemma
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dilemmas
Instead of adding more junk to your drawers, these clever gadgets actually solve kitchen dilemmas we’re all faced with.
—
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
My book belongs to ongoing discussions that live in and outlive literary dilemmas.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Almost everyone will have to reckon with how to handle these modern communication dilemmas.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Three Tri-Valley school districts are facing significant financial dilemmas heading into next year, with budget cuts and potential layoffs threatening to hit classrooms.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
At their best, superhero stories can be potent metaphors for tangible human dilemmas.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
But the body concerns and identity dilemmas associated with middle age are different from those that plague adolescence and young adulthood.
—Rebecca Lester, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
In some organizations, AI ethics advisory boards report directly to the audit or risk committee, tackling dilemmas like data misuse or algorithmic bias head-on.
—Rohan Sharma, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
My book belongs to ongoing discussions that live in and outlive literary dilemmas.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Almost everyone will have to reckon with how to handle these modern communication dilemmas.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Three Tri-Valley school districts are facing significant financial dilemmas heading into next year, with budget cuts and potential layoffs threatening to hit classrooms.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
At their best, superhero stories can be potent metaphors for tangible human dilemmas.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
But the body concerns and identity dilemmas associated with middle age are different from those that plague adolescence and young adulthood.
—Rebecca Lester, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
In some organizations, AI ethics advisory boards report directly to the audit or risk committee, tackling dilemmas like data misuse or algorithmic bias head-on.
—Rohan Sharma, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilemmas
Noun
-
Housing costs have been a major component of the affordability problems facing consumers.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The researchers warned that while the idea of workers taking on more tasks voluntarily could seem ideal, nonstop work has the potential to lead to problems down the line, including blurring the boundary between work and non-work, as well as burnout and cognitive fatigue.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In both Landman and Goliath, Thornton’s characters are flawed anti-heroes who struggle with substance abuse and the moral quandaries of doing what’s right.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
-
These are enduring human quandaries.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The two whip up a lavish dip packed with cheese, greens and pickles, which add tang to cut through the indulgent creaminess.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Vinegar is everywhere these days, and not just in pickles and salad dressing.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dilemmas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilemmas. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
