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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
But Skinner knew there was plenty of narrative potential in focusing on the thorny relationship Benny strikes up with Carmen, a girl who ends up being both his beard and his BFF.
—
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
One of the thorniest issues facing House Republicans has yet to be resolved, even as the Energy and Commerce Committee barrels toward a meeting early next week to mark up its portion of President Trump’s domestic policy bill.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 8 May 2025
Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights).
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
The relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
One of the thorniest issues facing House Republicans has yet to be resolved, even as the Energy and Commerce Committee barrels toward a meeting early next week to mark up its portion of President Trump’s domestic policy bill.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 8 May 2025
Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights).
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
The relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
-
May 31, 2025 The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws.—
Mike Belleme,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Especially when exploring all the jagged edges can be as delicious as it has been executed in Sirens.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
No matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 June 2025
-
Despite her risky gambit, Metcalfe, who is studying to be an attorney at the University of Law in Manchester, England, admits that her sport has helped her through some of the most difficult times of her life.—
Andy Frye,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
-
Keller resists going too quirky with his characters, locating humor instead in the sometimes prickly, often playful exchanges between them, and pathos in their genuine care and concern for one another.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The vote took place against an increasingly violent backlash to the Trump administration's tough immigration policies.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
-
In Mind For startups, achieving more with less can be tough.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
This one attaches easily to your carry-on and spares you from those scratchy airline blankets.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2025
-
For example, dry air, smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke often lead to a scratchy throat and hoarseness.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Amino acids are more easily absorbed than proteins and do not damage the intestinal environment, which means even those with sensitive digestions can take them.—
MISAKI KAWATSU,
Vogue,
10 June 2025
-
This principle, applied across all workloads, is instrumental for reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data.—
Ben Blanquera,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
The comment was in answer to how Friends, in its second resurgence in the streaming era, was receiving some criticism for some of its problematic elements, i.e. the lack of diversity, homophobia, sexism, etc.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Some lawns are just too big for a bot to handle, and even smaller lawns present more problematic terrain than a carpeted floor.—
John Mihaly,
PC Magazine,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
At the apotheosis of technical wizardry, Vacheron Constantin debuted the most complicated wristwatch in the world, the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication-La Première.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
15 June 2025
-
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth purged some of Colby’s allies in a complicated internal political spat in April, and the person directly involved in some of the internal arguments said Hegseth tends to side with Kurilla in the arguments over the Middle East.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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