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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Rising risk in the event of delinquencies Banks may expose themselves to rising risk over time if private credit firms take on less secure loans than the banks would normally fund.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
-
The greatest storm coverage is expected from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a moderate risk of life-threatening rip currents at all area beaches.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 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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Through exclusive access to whistleblower testimony, pivotal audio recordings, and footage from the company’s early days, the film provides an unprecedented look at the technical challenges, moral dilemmas, and shockingly poor decisions that culminated in the catastrophic expedition.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The flight continues without a hitch, and Fielder attempts to open the lines of communication with his copilot, Aaron, by repeatedly asking him if everything is okay.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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The Foundation series Cybertruck includes Full Self Driving (an $8,000 value) and a trailer hitch.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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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
-
Sheriff Martinez could easily resolve this predicament of her own making.—
Pedro Rios,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
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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Blending all the pitfalls of high school life with the occasional dip-in from the spirit world, Sabrina broke free from a certain kind of multi-camera restriction to offer up a comedy that was timeless for more reasons than the immortality of its characters. 41.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
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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Like many things that seem too good to be true, there's a catch: Those buried there do not come back the same.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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