1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knotty
Just as much an investigator as a memoirist, Nevils attempts to tunnel through the lurid details and the #MeToo boilerplate and unearth something much knottier.
—
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
But her career got knottier after that.
—Rebecca Traister, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Where the two meet, bundles of the hotter stuff pierce the dusty shell, creating knotty plumes that look vaguely like comets.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
Its moral dimensions are more straightforward than those in Jude’s previous work (and its form much simpler in kind), but only because their practical applications are that much knottier in return.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
But her career got knottier after that.
—Rebecca Traister, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Where the two meet, bundles of the hotter stuff pierce the dusty shell, creating knotty plumes that look vaguely like comets.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
Its moral dimensions are more straightforward than those in Jude’s previous work (and its form much simpler in kind), but only because their practical applications are that much knottier in return.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
-
The exhibition opens with an intricate model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that Palestinian craftspeople in Bethlehem made of local materials including olive and pistachio wood, mother-of-pearl and camel bone.—
Sarah Kozlowski,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
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What emerged was a series of intricate, heady features whose ideas often came through more clearly than their sentiments.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kansas played the Blue Devils close and made life difficult for Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, largely thanks to Flory Bidunga’s defense.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
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Parents in attendance shared appreciation for seeing teens connect with older adults, especially during a stage of life when meaningful conversation at home can sometimes feel more difficult.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The attacks have, however, complicated peace efforts in the region where mass graves were recently found.—
OPE ADETAYO,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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The more complicated the process feels, the more likely people are to give up halfway through.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Middle linebacker is one of the toughest positions to play in today’s game, but Smith has the mental makeup to run the front of this defense.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The Senate map will likely get tougher for Democrats in future elections.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Frost and freeze conditions will damage unprotected vegetation that is sensitive to freezing temperatures.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Uncompromising Hygiene and Safety Pregnant and postpartum bodies are often highly sensitive to touch and smell, so much so that, at times, otherwise minor irritations and sensations can feel overwhelming.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Today, the room hosts complex Lego sets in various states of completion, along with shelves of semi-functional robots and baskets of knitting filled with sweater fragments.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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United Nations Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the war, exposed the complex power reality inside Lebanon.—
Asher Kaufman,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As fraud remains in focus in the Minnesota Legislature, the House on Monday unanimously approved a bill to repeal from state law a problematic program that prosecutors said was the target of a massive fraud scheme.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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But what was more problematic to business owners and community members who attended the meeting was the issue of parking availability and turnover in the area.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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