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as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidate tried to avoid discussing his views on the thorny issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thorny
Anyway, what about those buses, the thornier portion of the old app?
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026
The facts were highly technical and, unlike the Los Angeles case, didn’t involve qualitative assessments of young people’s personal lives or thorny debates about whether social media can be addictive.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Justice Amy Coney Barrett raised the potentially thorny prospect of states allowing voters to recall -- or, change -- their ballots once mailed.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Merit filed for bankruptcy last July and became embroiled in a thorny legal dispute with a former broadcasting business partner.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026
The facts were highly technical and, unlike the Los Angeles case, didn’t involve qualitative assessments of young people’s personal lives or thorny debates about whether social media can be addictive.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Justice Amy Coney Barrett raised the potentially thorny prospect of states allowing voters to recall -- or, change -- their ballots once mailed.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Merit filed for bankruptcy last July and became embroiled in a thorny legal dispute with a former broadcasting business partner.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
-
The green Rio Grande rests like a ribbon in the jaws of jagged canyons.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There were also high-arcing 3-pointers that touched nothing but the net, a difficult runner through contact that went in, and the kind of gravity that gave Kristaps Porzingis a layup just by cutting into space while the big man dove.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Some things in life are difficult.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The prickly Moon in your 4th House of Security reaches out to nourishing Jupiter in your 12th House of Escapism.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Properly constructed, a Martinez is plush with Italian vermouth but still prickly with gin, enjoying the diamond-clarity of a Martini but with the silken luxuriousness of a Manhattan.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Two sisters in Big Bear are facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Best Deals at the Quince Sale If your current towels are limp, scratchy, or just plain uninspired, Quince’s Turkish Classic Bath towels are an instant bathroom upgrade.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
25 Mar. 2026
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The most interesting thing about the song might be the scratchy, lo-fi guitar solo half way through, and that only lasts 15 seconds.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For once in his life, Sting manages to add some sensitive harmonies without trying to steal the show.—
Brett Milano,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
By connecting a phone to a computer using a USB cable, an attacker with physical access may be able to exploit the flaw during the early boot process, potentially exposing sensitive data before full security protections are enforced.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Amichai Cohen, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute’s Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, said this distinction is problematic.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Woods has always had a complicated reputation, but he’s also widely considered one of the best golfers ever, which means a lot of his problematic behavior has been excused because of his talent and his friendship with the US President.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And in South Florida groups have stepped in to support migrants navigating complicated immigration processes, from deportation to self-deportation, often filling gaps left by government systems.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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But determining what percentage of the population would stay and fight is complicated.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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