as in dilemma
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
I'm in a quandary about whether I should try to repair my stereo or buy a new one, even though I don't have the money to do either
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Recent Examples of quandary
As weight-loss drugs soar in popularity, diners on and off them are wrestling with a number of restaurant etiquette quandaries, and in some cases changing their dining habits as a result.
—
Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The threat of a trade war sparked by President Trump’s tariffs has played a role in the state’s license plate quandary.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Long-serving staff resigned, artists canceled their appearances in protest—including the actor Issa Rae and the rock band Low Cut Connie—and every ticket buyer had a new question to answer, a fresh moral quandary.
—Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Intellectual Mercury zooms into the same part of your chart two days later, giving you even more mental energy to devote to these quandaries.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quandary
Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The threat of a trade war sparked by President Trump’s tariffs has played a role in the state’s license plate quandary.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Long-serving staff resigned, artists canceled their appearances in protest—including the actor Issa Rae and the rock band Low Cut Connie—and every ticket buyer had a new question to answer, a fresh moral quandary.
—Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Intellectual Mercury zooms into the same part of your chart two days later, giving you even more mental energy to devote to these quandaries.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quandary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quandary
dilemma
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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Here are eight passages that capture the new pope’s thinking as a young scholar on leadership, authority and some of the church’s most pressing dilemmas.—
Ruth Graham,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quandary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quandary. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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