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
In its first year, a rosette of spiny leaves forms is followed in year two, by flowers in the pink to deep red spectrum.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Like aging copper, the Yarrow’s spiny lizard’s reptilian skin fades from gold to bluish-green.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 2025
The minimally landscaped areas immediately around the house quickly give way to the arid landscape, the spiny shrubs and Joshua trees interspersed with several sculptures set against the undulating shadow lines of the distant mountains.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The new species, named Bungulla pipilata, is a spiny trapdoor spider.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Like aging copper, the Yarrow’s spiny lizard’s reptilian skin fades from gold to bluish-green.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 2025
The minimally landscaped areas immediately around the house quickly give way to the arid landscape, the spiny shrubs and Joshua trees interspersed with several sculptures set against the undulating shadow lines of the distant mountains.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The new species, named Bungulla pipilata, is a spiny trapdoor spider.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Training and case management through FRAP is supposed to help attorneys deal with what Clegg calls a difficult area of law.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
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Will this race and the other changes create an opportunity for NASCAR to turn the page on its difficult 2025?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Most importantly, Alvarado relishes in his role as a tough-nosed, point-of-attack defender, an area the Knicks have had trouble despite building a roster with notable defenders across all positions.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
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With a durable and tough rubber sole featuring Vibram's TC5+ technology, each step offers the right amount of flex and resistance for a comfortable hiking experience.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The new revelations include documents suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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The new revelations include documents suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Manscaped’s ‘Hair Ballad’ Several ads trafficked in revulsion as an attention-getter, none more so than this one for a body shaver featuring various clumps of removed body hair singing with their little hairy mouths.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sweaty skin, particularly sweaty, hairy skin.—
Dawnie Jefferson,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Inspect them for rust and any sticky residue which can be wiped away with WD-40 (which also help keep the hinges lubricated).—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
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And inflation, while still sticky, has remained stable in recent months.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The rise of hypereffective weight-loss drugs has also raised some important—and thorny—ethical questions.—
Bethany Brookshire,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
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In a jean jacket and black dress, Savannah Guthrie walked through prickly pear cactus fields, even pausing to poke the thorny plants.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But other parts of her story were problematic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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But other parts of her story were problematic.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But looming is the question of whether the federal immigration officers who pulled the triggers in both cases actually broke the law, a question that will come down to complicated issues that are much harder to define than the outrage that prompted calls for accountability.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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