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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
Several thorny issues remain, however, including how to approach raising the debt limit, how much to raise the deduction cap on state and local taxes and how to make the entire package budget neutral, as some hard-line Republicans are demanding.
—
Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
The thorny issues of governance of Gaza were left for later negotiations.
—Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Nonetheless, private firefighters will likely continue to raise thorny ethical questions — with no easy answers.
—Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Populists confront a thorny problem: how to draw power from the public while keeping it obedient.
—Ronald R. Krebs, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thorny 
Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
The thorny issues of governance of Gaza were left for later negotiations.
—Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Nonetheless, private firefighters will likely continue to raise thorny ethical questions — with no easy answers.
—Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Populists confront a thorny problem: how to draw power from the public while keeping it obedient.
—Ronald R. Krebs, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
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The highest point, a jagged cluster called the Bavella Needles, soars more than 6,000 feet.—
Sara Lieberman,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2025
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Now, an apologetic Martin, who says the damage to the bluff was unintentional, has won city of Miami approval for an unprecedented fix — hiring a skilled stonemason to recreate the missing top two-and-a-half feet of the exposed, naturally jagged rock outcropping.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
An aviation expert, along with the Army pilot, tells PEOPLE that Reagan National Airport can be especially difficult to fly into.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
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Challenges of an Airline Pilot's Lifestyle Beyond the technical demands of the job, Wallach said the most difficult part of being a pilot was the lifestyle—particularly as a single parent.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The cast does commendable work bringing their characters to life: Ashe’s Elham is ferocious, prickly, and competitive; Tabbal’s Omid is lovable but too good; Lalezarzadeh’s Goli is young, bright-eyed, yet wise; Pooya’s Roya is queenly, imposing, and devoted.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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But the Path of Exile community is also pretty prickly, and many are calling for GGG to take action against him for boosting or account sharing as that’s against TOS and other players would be banned for it.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field against his old team, and Anunoby scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with tough defense on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the field for 16 points.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Though not nearly as consequential as Dallas losing Dončić, Minnesota took a tough blow Monday — Donte DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely due to a toe injury.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Evidence of this residue can be seen as water spots or etching glass surfaces, clean laundry that feels stiff and scratchy, and toilet bowl rings that trap bacteria.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2025
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Short-Term Effects of Inhaling Wildfire Smoke Breathing smoke can cause irritation in the airways, with symptoms such as coughing, a sore or scratchy throat and wheezing.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike phishing campaigns targeting the entire workforce, red team exercises often involve precise objectives or trophies, such as gaining access to a critical system or sensitive data.—
Lauren Carpenter,
USA TODAY,
30 Jan. 2025
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Under the policy, ICE agents were permitted to enter sensitive locations, such as schools, churches, and hospitals, only under specific circumstances.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Dana, the law professor, sees the contracts Weidner has signed with St. Petersburg and other cities as problematic for exactly that reason.—
Ben Wieder,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
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Shedding these microbes onto an exercise mat versus a dumbbell is especially problematic, Tetro said, because exercise mats are like petri dishes.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, disentangling cartel operations from U.S. interests in Mexico could be immensely complicated.—
Maria Abi-Habib,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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However, these breakthroughs come with inherent hazards, such as adversaries misusing AI, ethical issues and the difficulty of preserving transparency in complicated systems.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near thorny
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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