variants
also problematical
1
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the problematic situation of somehow having two dates for the same party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
whether we should even bother finishing the project at this point is problematic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of problematic
All that and a great ride Reviewing the list of features, there’s little that’s missing or problematic.
—
ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Boys and girls had similar overall rates of inhalant use, but females had substantially higher odds of developing inhalant use disorder, which the researchers suggested could be related to prior findings that girls may progress more quickly from experimentation to problematic substance use.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
But the second key moment in the interview, while just as revealing of who Lennon was, is more…problematic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 May 2026
That seclusion becomes particularly problematic when one day the police show up at their door with warrants to take away all of Philip’s computers and hard drives.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for problematic
ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Boys and girls had similar overall rates of inhalant use, but females had substantially higher odds of developing inhalant use disorder, which the researchers suggested could be related to prior findings that girls may progress more quickly from experimentation to problematic substance use.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
But the second key moment in the interview, while just as revealing of who Lennon was, is more…problematic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 May 2026
That seclusion becomes particularly problematic when one day the police show up at their door with warrants to take away all of Philip’s computers and hard drives.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for problematic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for problematic
Adjective
-
When Thomson went through a difficult divorce, in 2014, Djena would often check in on her, showing up at her door with food.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Crow-Armstrong had just failed to make a highly difficult, leaping catch at the wall.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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This injury seemed less serious, with the Knicks listing Anunoby as questionable to play in both Games 3 and 4 before he was ruled out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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With Díaz’s face bleeding profusely, Perry took advantage of Díaz’s questionable physical condition.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Each of those teams will be competing for playoff spots again, leaving the Raiders with no easy divisional wins and a tough out-of-division schedule.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The group did just enough against Sale and a tough Braves bullpen to avoid getting shut out for the third time in five games.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Lepoutre said Chapiron’s project is inspired by real cases in France involving young women who set themselves up as informal practitioners, offering discounted Botox and injections with dubious products.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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The administration, though, is gearing up to unleash a slew of other levies under the auspices of a different law that many experts see as less legally dubious than the 10% tariff and the ones the Supreme Court reversed.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Auditors typically treat unattributable privileged actions as accountability gaps, because the framework expects sensitive operations to trace back to an accountable individual rather than an autonomous system.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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In addition, some companies and governments may pair that with quantum key cryptography, particularly for highly sensitive information.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Mar. 2026
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That disputable appraisal turned a few heads, and people began peppering the bot for further remarks on Musk’s physical prowess.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Republican primary field is far more complicated.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
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This summer’s most unlikely wine trend does not involve a rare bottle or a complicated spritz.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Anyone who suspects their card was skimmed should contact their bank immediately, freeze or replace the card, monitor transactions, and report the suspicious pump to the station, police, and the FBI’s IC3.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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But guidelines seek to balance the benefits of catching cancer early with possible harms, such as stress and pain from investigating suspicious spots that don't turn out to be cancerous.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Problematic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/problematic. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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