1
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
she dreaded having to deal with her prickly boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
a prickly issue that will outrage at least one special interest if not handled delicately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prickly
Tim Robinson, the former Saturday Night Live writer and performer who now co-stars with Paul Rudd in the prickly cringe comedy Friendship, is probably a genius.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
That's far worse than his 7-point deficit in approval on handling immigration (as reported here), demonstrating that public sentiment is especially prickly when economic well-being is on the line.
—Ishai Melamede, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Characters like Diane Kruger’s Terry, a prickly dog groomer and the sister of his Karsh’s late wife Becca, who happens to look exactly like her.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
Boselli and his teammates, coached by prickly taskmaster Tom Coughlin, saw it differently.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
That's far worse than his 7-point deficit in approval on handling immigration (as reported here), demonstrating that public sentiment is especially prickly when economic well-being is on the line.
—Ishai Melamede, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Characters like Diane Kruger’s Terry, a prickly dog groomer and the sister of his Karsh’s late wife Becca, who happens to look exactly like her.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
Boselli and his teammates, coached by prickly taskmaster Tom Coughlin, saw it differently.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
-
For some people, double cleansing may be too irritating.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
15 May 2025
-
Not just the threat-of-extinction stuff, which includes Bassett’s POTUS debating which American city to blow up as a preemptive gesture, but by its own irritating God’s-eye omniscience that rarely allows the suspense to spool out in the present.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cass fulfills his obligations in a particularly irritable way.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
-
One person’s fatigue is another’s back pain, is another’s migraine or irritable bowel, or long Covid, and so on.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hepburn’s thorny performance veers away from her typical sparkling ingenue presence toward something more brittle (watching Holly Golightly restrain herself from cursing out a precocious, irritating child delights).—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
Footwear News,
26 May 2025
-
The relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
While some brands promise heat but don’t deliver, this lives up to the hype with a fiery blast of red jalapeño and habanero chilis.—
Sabrina Weiss,
People.com,
4 June 2025
-
Boulder attack suspect’s family detained The wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in the fiery assault on Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, have been detained by immigration officials, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
May 31, 2025 The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws.—
Mike Belleme,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Especially when exploring all the jagged edges can be as delicious as it has been executed in Sirens.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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These searches help keep digital communications and sensitive information safe.—
Jeremiah Bartz,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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The lightweight formula is fragrance-free — ideal for sensitive skin — and doubles as a primer thanks to its matte finish.—
Madison Yauger,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
This one attaches easily to your carry-on and spares you from those scratchy airline blankets.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2025
-
For example, dry air, smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke often lead to a scratchy throat and hoarseness.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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