1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol
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2
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history
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3
as in problem
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catch-22
The future Astronomical observatories on the far side of the Moon face a bit of a catch-22.
—
ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Really, this is the catch-22 at the heart of the modern celebrity CEO and social media.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But there’s radio silence on how working ATCs are supposed to solve the catch-22 of freeing up time to train with no increase in staffing levels.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In a catch-22, until the company is able to reduce its coal dependency, analysts expect its performance in the short- to medium-term to continue being dictated by coal-price movement.
—Phisanu Phromchanya, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Really, this is the catch-22 at the heart of the modern celebrity CEO and social media.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But there’s radio silence on how working ATCs are supposed to solve the catch-22 of freeing up time to train with no increase in staffing levels.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
In a catch-22, until the company is able to reduce its coal dependency, analysts expect its performance in the short- to medium-term to continue being dictated by coal-price movement.
—Phisanu Phromchanya, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
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There was also a high risk of severe weather issued the afternoon of Sunday, May 18 for parts of Oklahoma and Kansas.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Due to the risk of flooding, hail, and tornadoes, the NWS had to seek help from other offices.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
Noun
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Many of Cuomo’s mayoral race opponents have condemned the spending, saying the PAC gives him an unfair advantage in the race and poses an ethical dilemma since many of its contributors have city government business interests.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
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Here are eight passages that capture the new pope’s thinking as a young scholar on leadership, authority and some of the church’s most pressing dilemmas.—
Ruth Graham,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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New piece Karl-Anthony Towns replaced Randle without a hitch, and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart bring that Villanova toughness and skill to both sides of the ball.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Her four-hour surgery went off without a hitch, and her recovery did as well.—
Hedy Phillips,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Sheriff Martinez could easily resolve this predicament of her own making.—
Pedro Rios,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 May 2025
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The cops are making progress, the bikers are sharpening their shivs, the main duo’s relationship is being tested and Ray is dealing with his own family issues, while Manny is facing his own piercing predicament.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
21 May 2025
Noun
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However, there are certain pitfalls to avoid in order to use and scale technology in the right manner: • Simulation must not be implemented in silos; rather, it should be tightly integrated with design, testing and manufacturing.—
Ajay Parihar,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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The Red Sox bullpen held serve and was able to avoid some potentially dangerous pitfalls.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2025
Noun
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With them, came pickles, tomato sauce and jammy eggs.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
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Subsequent clips show Bad Bunny threatening a bruised and boxer-clad Hank, and Regina King trying to help the unintentional accomplice out of the pickle that he’s suddenly found himself in.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Listen to this article Two and a half years after the vast majority of Denver voters approved an initiative requiring apartment buildings and restaurants to recycle and compost more of their waste, the city’s implementation of that mandate has hit another snag.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
14 May 2025
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The upholstery is of nice quality, too—no snags or sagging, at least at this point—and there’s some subtle variation in the coloring that adds a bit of depth (my bed features the Stone fabric, but bouclé is also available).—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
12 May 2025
Noun
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With an annual spend ranging from $1 million to the multimillions, these VVIPs are quite a catch for brands.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
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But here’s the catch: Melatonin is highly timing-sensitive.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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