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
Granted, there’s a catch-22 situation at play here.
—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The catch-22 is that Gordon arguably shouldn’t be doubling up on roles too much this early in the season — especially in the immediate aftermath of his own injury.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2024
This lopsided ecosystem of ultra-rich tech moguls battling each other has enriched Nvidia while forcing application developers into a catch-22 of either using a low-cost and low-performance model bound to disappoint users, or face paying exorbitant inference costs and risk going bankrupt.
—Kai-Fu Lee, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024
Select the right seat People who deal with migraines tend to be ultra-sensitive to motion sickness, which is a catch-22 because motion sickness can trigger an attack.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The catch-22 is that Gordon arguably shouldn’t be doubling up on roles too much this early in the season — especially in the immediate aftermath of his own injury.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2024
This lopsided ecosystem of ultra-rich tech moguls battling each other has enriched Nvidia while forcing application developers into a catch-22 of either using a low-cost and low-performance model bound to disappoint users, or face paying exorbitant inference costs and risk going bankrupt.
—Kai-Fu Lee, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024
Select the right seat People who deal with migraines tend to be ultra-sensitive to motion sickness, which is a catch-22 because motion sickness can trigger an attack.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
-
The country could be at risk of losing its elimination status if an outbreak continued for more than one year.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Role of Blockchain Technology and AI This ethical and creative dilemma could find a promising resolution through blockchain technology.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The frustrated bride shared her story on Reddit, detailing her dilemma in a March 22 post on a forum dedicated to wedding planning — and asking for any advice about how to proceed.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Board of Rites is tasked with making sure the ceremonies performed by the imperial nobles go off without a hitch, and its members have been dying throughout the series.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
-
All crowdfunding campaigns have an element of risk, but assuming this project goes without a hitch, shipping for backers is estimated to start from July.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, Luton are only four points behind Stoke City, yet another top-flight old boy, in 18th place, so there is a path out of this predicament.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The predicament got even worse the following day, when Perez’s RB16 stopped on the formation lap and he was forced to start from the pit-lane.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Olivia Munn is learning both the joys and pitfalls of being a mother of two.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
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As a former child star, Brian Bonsall knows all too well about the pitfalls of fame.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The namesake Bad Boy Burger ($11.99) is two quarter-pound patties, bacon, American cheese, Swiss cheese, chili, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Apr. 2025
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Step 6: Diversify into the golf course and mango pickle industries.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At varying points, Ukraine adopted parts of NATO warfighting strategy, only to run into snags or revert to the more familiar, Soviet-style tactics.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Yes, and: The budget, property tax relief and health care costs — all priority issues heading into session — are hitting snags that likely won't get worked out this week.—
Arika Herron,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In addition, anime in and of itself is a very broad catch all term that could mean a plethora of different genres to an animation veteran.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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As a rookie, McBride was the backup to starting tight end Zach Ertz and had 29 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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