as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
Last year, Choudhury produced the film Wild London in which Attenborough — then aged 99 — shimmies on his belly to get eye-to-eye with the spiny mammal.
—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
8 May 2026
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
27 Apr. 2026
There, the tide pools blanketed with the spiny creatures awaited.
—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
20 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
8 May 2026
Keep your gooseberry shrub well-watered, and be sure to prune it—some varieties of this shrub have fairly spiny branches that can make harvesting berries uncomfortable without gloves.
—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
27 Apr. 2026
There, the tide pools blanketed with the spiny creatures awaited.
—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
20 Apr. 2026
The plant is easily identified by its rampant growth in the spring and its spiny globular fruit.
—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
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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MacDonald agrees that some of Kiros' positions could put Democratic candidates in a tough spot.
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The 34 measures include cuts to income tax for low- and middle income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, tougher rules for employees' sick leave and a reduction of the country's stifling bureaucracy.
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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The ambitious series will debut new episodes later this year, making this the perfect time to prop up your hairy feet and marathon the first two seasons.
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The threat that these hairy tanks (some can weigh over 1,500 pounds) pose to drivers is so great that Volvo, a brand synonymous with safety, built their own life-sized rubber replica.
Adjective
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Through the risk of lightning, sticky humidity and a winding line filled with thousands of chanting fans, Argentine fans flooded Bayfront Park with a sea of blue jerseys.
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Smoke uncovered for an additional 30–45 minutes, allowing the glaze to caramelize into a sticky, lacquered finish.
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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In a 2025 report issued on Tuesday, the intelligence agency said there were no indications that the party had backed off its problematic views.
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This is where overly conservative portfolios can become problematic.
Adjective
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But a closer examination paints a more complicated picture.
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The city also has some of the world’s most complicated rules about air-conditioning installation.
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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