1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
From celebrities to brands and many other users across the platform, folks chimed in to share their despair with Hollywood’s most ticklish friend.
—
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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Businesses cannot process sensitive data without obtaining consumer consent.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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There are some intense scenes During The Fantastic Four: First Steps, there are some intense scenes that may not be suitable for younger (or more sensitive) viewers.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Diseases that are difficult to manage without early intervention, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, place a significant burden on health care budgets and patient quality of life.—
Kim Praitano,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The sound is good enough to get your groove on, while battery life of up to 10 hours per charge makes up for their touchy controls and relative lack of fancy extras.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
12 July 2025
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As the moon and Chiron clash, addressing a touchy relationship issue provides healing.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Lamont, who had proposed boosting special education aid by $40 million — but not until July 2026 — countered that the state budget already was on pace to exceed the budget cap and that legislators needed to make tough choices and trim spending.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
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Stage eight on Saturday will mark the start of a tough weekend of reckoning for the GC riders in the mountains to conclude the Tour.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Despite its self-destructive proclivities, the irritable giant has managed to make, and keep, a friend.—
Robin George Andrews,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
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Determined to make a clean SPF, Brown says a chemical formula was out of the question (chemical sunscreens are often thought to be unsafe for the coral reef and irritable to sensitive skin types).—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Britain has since struck a trade deal with the U.S., however, becoming the first country to do so as tetchy trade talks continue for other trading partners, including the European Union which is still waiting to sign a trade agreement with Washington.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Her new novel, Spent, tells the story of one Alison Bechdel, a tetchy lesbian cartoonist running a pygmy-goat sanctuary in Vermont who is trying to write a memoir about the corrupting influence of money.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Ike Howard’s journey to the Oilers roster is a little more complicated.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Terminology, however, is insufficient: the Promising Young Woman is messier and more complicated than the rape revenge subgenre or tales of women done wrong, a pastiche of contradictions that further mucks up Northrop Frye’s distinct archetypal schema and heightens its own significance.—
Meg Pillow
July 31,
Literary Hub,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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True resource guarding is a serious issue that often involves strong warning signals from the dog—and can be problematic if left unaddressed.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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These are problematic, to say the least, as an exploit of the same could lead to the possibility of arbitrary code execution within the browser.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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