1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knotty
But the real crucible for the mayor is only just beginning to take shape, with her political prospects inextricably tied to the almost unfathomably knotty recovery ahead.
—
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Most feature a king-size bed, wood-burning stove, plenty of knotty wood furniture, and fresh white linens.
—Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 3 Jan. 2025
Outside the city, accommodations are typically alpine in style, with knotty wooden furniture, hearty meals, and scenic vistas.
—Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Most feature a king-size bed, wood-burning stove, plenty of knotty wood furniture, and fresh white linens.
—Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 3 Jan. 2025
Outside the city, accommodations are typically alpine in style, with knotty wooden furniture, hearty meals, and scenic vistas.
—Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
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His intricate, mesmerizing, metal, light, and shadow sculptures in MICAS’ barrel vaults prove particularly sublime.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The design, which took more than 300 hours to make, included a corset bodice with intricate sparkling details that dripped down to the rest of the silk skirt.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But their happy romance is soon demolished when Jenny reappears in their lives, thrusting all three into a difficult and messy journey towards true accountability and adulthood.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
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These protein complexes are highly shape-shifting, making traditional imaging methods very difficult.—
Priyanka Naik,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Although these big chip platforms are complicated to make, Nvidia can apply lessons learned from the Blackwell ramp to future product iterations.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
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Refunds are typically smaller at the start of the tax season because low- and middle-income workers with simpler tax returns are often the first to file, while higher-income Americans or people with more complicated taxes tend to wait until closer to the April 15 deadline to file their returns.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This all adds up to a tough investment outlook for any business looking at Ukraine’s mineral supply.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Ties during Trump’s first term One of the hallmarks of the first Trump Administration was a tougher stance towards China compared to his predecessors, through tit-for-tat tariffs and an Indo-Pacific strategy that aimed to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the Western Pacific.—
Chad de Guzman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What the presence of TSMC does do is complicate an already complex situation.—
Kerry Brown,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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That the aircraft impacted the ground so violently will no doubt complicate investigators' work, given the state of the physical evidence, Axios' Fitzpatrick adds.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The exfiltrated data included the following browser files, which can store login cookies, passwords, browsing histories, and other sensitive data.—
Dan Goodin,
Ars Technica,
7 Mar. 2025
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The indictment alleges Tian also sent Duan links to Google Drive accounts containing sensitive information on US military weapons systems, such as Bradley and Stryker US Army fighting vehicles.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Trump administration to acknowledge only a person’s gender assigned at birth, officials say Human biology is complex, and not all individuals fit neatly into binary categories, Evans told ABC News.—
Dr. Allia Vaez,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2025
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The study, published in the medical journal JAMA by the Benioff Homeless and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco, gives a complex statistical picture of a topic that has been fraught by conflicting narratives.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The collective tension as the game went on, and the poles became taller and more tangled, made every move exciting.—
James Palmer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Dec. 2024
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Her free-associative lyrics are either mesmerizingly strange or plainly hilarious, and her tangled, clanging riffs have an oddly soothing effect.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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