1
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
a prickly issue that will outrage at least one special interest if not handled delicately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of prickly
Written and directed by Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin, The Social Reckoning catches up with Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) more than a decade after the original film, which saw the prickly Harvard tech genius change social media forever with the creation of Facebook.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Abbass, in this role, exudes a prickly and lyrical authority worthy of Vanessa Redgrave.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 May 2026
Plant it near tomatoes, squash and strawberries—its prickly leaves deter insect pests.
—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Abbass, in this role, exudes a prickly and lyrical authority worthy of Vanessa Redgrave.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 May 2026
Plant it near tomatoes, squash and strawberries—its prickly leaves deter insect pests.
—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
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Few workplace behaviors are as small, common and irritating as the message that goes unanswered.
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Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
Adjective
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The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
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Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
Adjective
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The funding of the military has become a thorny issue in the UK.
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Whatever the outcome — sinkhole or man-made — there is an even thornier issue, according to Alyssa Peterson, a longtime community activist who was instrumental in initially organizing the weekly clean-ups.
Adjective
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Sarah Buck, Chicago Driving has become harder The rapid increase in bike lanes has made driving much more difficult and tedious, with numerous delays due to many streets being reduced to one lane in busy areas.
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Republican strategists have welcomed those nominations as an opening for attack in a difficult election year.
Adjective
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Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
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And the hottest of the bunch, the green, is a fiery combination of both jalapeños and green habaneros.
Adjective
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Located in Florina, in northwestern Greece, the region lies on a high plateau ringed by jagged peaks, with freshwater lakes below.
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An important entry to the New Queer Cinema canon, Kar-wai’s drama is passionate, moody, and deeply evocative, tracing the jagged edges of an on-again, off-again romance in seedy 1990s Buenos Aires.
Adjective
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Rescuers then wait intently for any indication of life, using sensitive microphones or telescopic cameras or simply pressing an ear against the rubble, hoping to detect a voice, a knock or the faintest movement.
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So far, the administration has sued multiple states unsuccessfully in attempts to obtain sensitive voter-roll data to run through a federal database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program.
Adjective
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If a wool sweater or lacey top is too scratchy, it’s getting donated or listed on Depop stat.
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Unlike other linen pieces that are nearly impossible to keep wrinkle-free or feel stiff and scratchy, the entire line gets more comfortable with each wash.
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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