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
There are also the Mobius strip cuff links crafted from all-silver or interwoven yellow-gold, rhodium and black ruthenium or semiprecious chrysocolla or spiny oyster.
—
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 1 Aug. 2025
The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
—Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
The Caribbean lobster that lives in the waters off of Anegada are spiny, lack claws and are smaller than their Maine counterparts.
—Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Specific receptors on medium spiny neurons are common targets for medications that are sometimes used to help treat OCD.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 1 Aug. 2025
The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
—Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2025
The Caribbean lobster that lives in the waters off of Anegada are spiny, lack claws and are smaller than their Maine counterparts.
—Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Specific receptors on medium spiny neurons are common targets for medications that are sometimes used to help treat OCD.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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And that’s tough on those guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Formulated without alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, the TheraBreath Whitening Fresh Breath Oral Rinse uses glucose oxidase and enzymes called papain to help break up stains and kill bad-breath-causing bacteria—all without aggravating sensitive teeth and gums.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Organizations are increasingly relying on AI to handle the initial assessment load, especially in high-volume or compliance-sensitive hiring scenarios.—
Aaron Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Flowers of the Cristata group look like hairy brains.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
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The heist and rescue – followed by a zookeeper’s lesson about the hairy, multilegged creatures – gave me a new respect for the spiders and the keepers at the Cincinnati Zoo and a fascinating story to share with our readers.—
Terry DeMio,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In nearby Thai Town, don’t miss sai ua and khao soi at Amphai Northern Thai Food, followed by mango sticky rice at Bhan Kanom Thai.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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An attentive banker can help monitor the progress of legal documentation, serving as an intermediary in case there are any sticky business issues.—
Frank Williamson,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But that would create a thorny conflict of interest for Denholm and her fellow directors, with Musk seeking — not for the first time — to use Tesla to subsidize one of his less-profitable ventures.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Redford’s rise to the top was all the more remarkable given his penchant for characters who were aloof, sardonic, even thorny.—
Steve Chagollan,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This readily available and inexpensive treatment could change health outcomes for a significant number of cancer survivors who have problematic gene variants.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Sep. 2025
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France, where L’Affaire Dreyfus divided the country for years beginning in 1894, has its own problematic history.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, tinting laws can be pretty complicated.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
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Sustainability doesn’t have to be such a complicated topic.—
Christopher Marquis,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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