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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—
Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
For the time being, then, a free-world strategy can’t liberate the United States from ongoing engagement, and perhaps ticklish compromises, with key autocracies that have a foot in both camps.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022
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
Rubbing underarm is selected as a target motion of robot because previous research suggests that this is the best way for making humans feel ticklish.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
For the time being, then, a free-world strategy can’t liberate the United States from ongoing engagement, and perhaps ticklish compromises, with key autocracies that have a foot in both camps.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022
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
Rubbing underarm is selected as a target motion of robot because previous research suggests that this is the best way for making humans feel ticklish.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
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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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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So start scrolling to discover the products our touchiest of testers trust with their prickly complexions.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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It’s also oddly bifurcated into two noticeably chunks, with the first half focusing on Hank and Yvonne’s tender but touchy, highly tectchy relationship and the second half leaning into the gonzo forward momentum of a get-the-dough crime flick.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Red Rocketeers were looking to bounce back after a tough loss against King Phillip, but the opponent was strong.—
Zachary McMahon,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
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Lee described the rookies as tough competitors who displayed a championship mentality during their run to the summer league championship.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Or the public’s general distaste for being confronted with tetchy societal issues will still prevail; doom-scrolling should be done on one’s phone at home, not out in the world among other people.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
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The venerable brand has, for well over a century, been a producer of debonair, distinctly British, sport/luxury cars, known mainly for startling good looks and an attitude that is more sophisticated and less tetchy than its Italian rivals.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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