1
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election

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2
as in tangle
something that catches and holds a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quagmire Hamas provoked the Israelis into a quagmire in Gaza by brutally raping and murdering young concertgoers and kidnapping families from their kibbutzes. Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025 This contradicts the precedent set by prior direct payments, such as the Covid-19 stimulus checks, which were heavily weighted toward lower-income Americans and could create a political quagmire for Trump. Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, has struggled to win over moderate, swing voters as his People Power Party remains in a quagmire of internal feuding over how to view Yoon's actions. Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025 The Squadron 42 quagmire The initial concept behind Squadron 42 was a tutorial segment that would gently introduce players to the game's mechanics and feed them some in-game rewards upon completion. Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
  • Considering its financial predicament and wealth of center backs, Barca could be tempted to sell the South American warhorse if a European rival tables his asking price.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
  • But by making plain that the students were a token in his trade war, Trump only increased the uncertainty of their predicament.
    Lavender Au, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • In my experience, most sea salt sprays require some sort of trade-off: either tons of volume but tangles, or great wave definition but very little body.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 26 June 2025
  • One of the most aggressive garden invaders, bindweed rapidly rambles through perennials and shrubs, creating a leafy tangle of stems and foliage.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • The dilemma about his son provides the bare minimum of drama to chew on, allowing Dexter’s focus to shift toward playful topics like his new cold-blooded buddies and the peculiar nature of his new playground, New York City.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • This case involving the MyPillow lawyers is just a microcosm of the growing dilemma of how courts and lawyers can strike the balance between welcoming life-changing technology and using it responsibly in court.
    Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Affluent families sometimes fall into the trap of overprotecting their kids, removing all struggle in the name of love.
    Anatoly Iofe, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The idealistic and naively optimistic Superman walks right into the trap.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • The vinegar used to quick pickle the onions also adds a vinegary pungency to the salad, and dill and basil work together to add fresh and herbaceous notes.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
  • Some foods and drinks high in electrolytes include watermelon, coconut water, leafy green vegetables, bone broth, pickles, and more.
    Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • There are no pairs of tidily poetic contradictions, but a morass of inner conflict, uncertainty, pain, and relief.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
  • Tax administration is often written off as a bureaucratic morass—a neutral, technocratic function made necessary by the modern state but best kept as small as possible.
    Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • That was soon followed by airborne training and then Ranger school, a notoriously grueling nine-week program that includes three weeks each at Fort Benning, in the mountains of Georgia, and in the swamps of Florida.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
  • The detention camp will place thousands of immigrants in wire cages in a humidity-intense swamp that is all but inaccessible to hospital ambulances, and where the summertime heat index can soar above 100 degrees.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Some have likened this to building a skyscraper on quicksand.
    Alexander Sudeykin, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • These moves chip away at the 188,000 pages bloating the Code of Federal Regulations, freeing businesses and families from bureaucratic quicksand.
    Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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