1
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quagmire
Washington remains short of clear strategic gains, while a conflict once framed as limited is now dragging much of the world into a widening quagmire – with few, if any, coming out ahead.
—
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
The men opened the panel to find a quagmire of colorful wires in a cutout in the wall.
—New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
But the central bank’s latest meeting illustrates the quagmire Warsh is about to wade into.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
For the Boston Red Sox, struggling has been a multi-layered quagmire.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
The men opened the panel to find a quagmire of colorful wires in a cutout in the wall.
—New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
But the central bank’s latest meeting illustrates the quagmire Warsh is about to wade into.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
For the Boston Red Sox, struggling has been a multi-layered quagmire.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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This predicament might be worth drastic measures.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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This predicament has been complicated by the president’s unprecedented attempt to influence programming at the wider institution.—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Scratched carpets are buried under tangles of wires and computing gear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
-
Electrical outlets and power strips Outlets, surge protectors and the tangle of cords behind an entertainment center collect more dust than people realize.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The dilemma is that each player wants the other side to blink first, but the cost of miscalculation is catastrophic.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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This dilemma led industries to re-evaluate how to join electrical components.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The problem is, when your side lack intensity, aggression and cohesion, those traps are easy to spot and avoid.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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The inspector also observed mouse droppings in multiple areas of the kitchen, like behind the grease trap and on dry storage shelves.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The drink, created in partnership with Grillo's Pickles, blends real pickle ingredients with electrolytes and Smoothie King’s standard fruit and nutrition base.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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There is a small amount of Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit that amplifies the savory aspect and adds an almost pickle-like element to the drink.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Even its final bars of Gregorian chanting, one of many bells and whistles stuffed between the mawkish choruses, can’t lift this track out of the morass.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The caller also reported seeing a male individual running into a swamp near the crash site.—
Edie Peffley,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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Follow a swamp airboat swerving along a Louisiana bayou.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Noun
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There are reasons the 2026 Giants aren’t trapped in the same quicksand as the Mets, Phillies or Red Sox, and those reasons are encouraging.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Such fluidity also extends to Amrum itself, where the land and water ebb and flow into one another, forming mudflats and murky patches of quicksand.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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