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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
The thorny question is often referred to as the human ceiling assumption.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Battle damage assessment remained a thorny problem decades later, even after radical improvements in surveillance technology.
—Joshua Rovner, The Conversation, 2 July 2025
On a subconscious level, music was a way for her to be understood — a tool to translate the emotions that were too thorny, too big to communicate in regular conversation.
—Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The Medicaid issue has been a thorny one for the GOP, dividing the party.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Battle damage assessment remained a thorny problem decades later, even after radical improvements in surveillance technology.
—Joshua Rovner, The Conversation, 2 July 2025
On a subconscious level, music was a way for her to be understood — a tool to translate the emotions that were too thorny, too big to communicate in regular conversation.
—Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
The Medicaid issue has been a thorny one for the GOP, dividing the party.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for thorny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorny
Adjective
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In a profession that lives at the jagged edge of justice and humanity, showing up matters.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
-
The end of the branch shows a smooth cut, but the bark layer has a jagged appearance.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Speaking with director Joe Johnston, Oka explained the two most difficult things to simulate digitally at the time were human skin and water.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
-
They are often considered the most beautiful irises but can be difficult to grow.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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With a prickly bubble, Fever Tree leapt to the top of our tasters’ lists almost immediately.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
Season 7, released in April, continued the show’s prickly use of digital avatars and machine learning as plot devices for stories about moviemaking, video games and even attending a funeral.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The tough part is deciding between a leather sofa or a plush number made with performance fabric.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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For every high-quality pair, there’s a dozen more with flimsy fasteners, scratchy fabric, and a poor fit.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
2 July 2025
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Say goodbye to the scratchy feel and five o’clock shadow.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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And new privacy legislation in Senate Bill 1295 requires collectors of sensitive data to notify consumers if their personal data is being used to train large language models.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
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In Cisco’s 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark, 64% of global respondents worry about inadvertently exposing sensitive information through AI tools, even as nearly half admit to feeding personal data into them.—
Boris Dzhingarov,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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This is especially problematic because compensation in financial services is reliant on bonuses, commissions and decision-making power and these rewards don’t often trickle down.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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For Gathegi, the shocking moment underscored age-old problematic tropes.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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That stark reality, Wood said, was part of what compelled him to write the book Among the lessons Wood discusses are the importance of healthy communication, the role of community support and the insights drawn from his own complicated relationship with his father.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 July 2025
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While these may seem a bit too complicated for children, the kit is specifically designed for budding engineers aged 8 to 14 and includes easy-to-understand, age-appropriate instructions.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorny. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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