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
No, California didn't block firetrucks:California didn't block trucks from Oregon over emissions rules | Fact check
Residents ponder whether to rebuild or walk away
The fires have left residents with the prickly decision of whether or not to rebuild.
—
John Bacon, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
The cast does commendable work bringing their characters to life: Ashe’s Elham is ferocious, prickly, and competitive; Tabbal’s Omid is lovable but too good; Lalezarzadeh’s Goli is young, bright-eyed, yet wise; Pooya’s Roya is queenly, imposing, and devoted.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
But the Path of Exile community is also pretty prickly, and many are calling for GGG to take action against him for boosting or account sharing as that’s against TOS and other players would be banned for it.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Tingly Foods Sichuan Pepper Peanuts Red and green Sichuan peppercorns pack a prickly punch in this crunchy snack, perfect alongside a cold, crisp beer.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prickly
John Bacon, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
The cast does commendable work bringing their characters to life: Ashe’s Elham is ferocious, prickly, and competitive; Tabbal’s Omid is lovable but too good; Lalezarzadeh’s Goli is young, bright-eyed, yet wise; Pooya’s Roya is queenly, imposing, and devoted.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
But the Path of Exile community is also pretty prickly, and many are calling for GGG to take action against him for boosting or account sharing as that’s against TOS and other players would be banned for it.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Tingly Foods Sichuan Pepper Peanuts Red and green Sichuan peppercorns pack a prickly punch in this crunchy snack, perfect alongside a cold, crisp beer.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickly
Adjective
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There is nothing more irritating to enthusiasts than when the mainstream tries to portray their niche world and gets it wrong.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Most formulas are either too heavy, too drying, or too irritating.—
Tira Urquhart,
Essence,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Cold exposure is particularly helpful for those who have irritable skin through the constriction of blood vessels, alleviating swelling and flushes.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
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The elderly single mom, played with an irritable, bone-deep bitterness by Irish actor Fiona Shaw, has spent the past few years paralyzed by an illness no one can diagnose.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Genealogical discovery calls for thorny detective work.—
Sara Georgini,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Mar. 2025
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The Bridge on the River Kwai has a thorny message about loyalty and duty that’s wrapped in a rugged, articulate adventure film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand lies the more difficult but ultimately more promising path: repudiation of that post-2008 legacy and a conscientious return to a politics of the prudential center.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
And a Delta plane flipped upside down in a fiery crash landing at a Toronto airport, injuring 21 people.—
Melissa Chan,
NBC News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Watch Stewart’s fiery takedown of Musk’s DOGE in its entirety below.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Located on the historic Santa Barbara plantation, the jagged limestone peak is accessible at four different points with routes up to 164 feet high (50 meters), depending on your athletic ability.—
Curaçao Tourist Board,
AFAR Media,
26 Feb. 2025
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The image teases both the film’s narrative developments and its jagged formal approach, as the director (who shares editing duties with both co-writer Karen Plata and DP Odei Zabaleta) aims to structurally replicate the non-linear disorder and occasional blind spots of ruptured childhood memories.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 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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To begin the transition to PQC, assess what of your critical infrastructure deals with high volumes of sensitive data.—
Anurag Lal,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Like linen, hemp is a strong fiber that can be a little bit scratchy.—
Kathleen Felton,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2024
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Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier: on sale for $39.99 Original price: $49.99 (Amazon) A humidifier can help with dry coughs, congestion, nose bleeds, itchy eyes and scratchy throats.—
Nora Colomer,
Fox News,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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