as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
Zebra and quagga mussels, spiny water flea and dozens of other Eurasian organisms colonized the Great Lakes starting in the late 1900s after arriving in ballast water from transoceanic ships.
—
Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025
Aloe vera is a spiny succulent plant that looks similar to agave.
—Atenea Morales De La Cruz, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025
In late winter to early spring, tiny white flowers that produce the spiny seeds, which are each about the size of a peppercorn, appear.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Feb. 2025
These small, spiny fish are notable for their bright yellow dorsal coloration.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025
Aloe vera is a spiny succulent plant that looks similar to agave.
—Atenea Morales De La Cruz, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025
In late winter to early spring, tiny white flowers that produce the spiny seeds, which are each about the size of a peppercorn, appear.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Feb. 2025
These small, spiny fish are notable for their bright yellow dorsal coloration.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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On the other side, the Grizzlies had an even tougher time with Curry, who finished with 52 points on 16-of-31 shooting.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Concerns have been raised about DOGE operatives, many with ties to Musk's companies, gaining access to sensitive government data without adequate oversight or experience.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Cooling, calming, and tailor-made for sensitive skin, this mask drapes delicately across your face to deliver a serious hit of cica (Centella asiatica) and allantoin—soothing redness and dryness in minutes.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That seemed like a big, hairy, audacious goal, and one that would motivate me.—
Shimite Obialo,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Flying your favorite spacecraft is as simple as plopping down in the captain’s chair to engage in some hairy dogfights and clandestine patrols over strange worlds or the inky cosmic blackness as the gameplay shifts from a standard FPS to a third-person perspective.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The telltale signs range from sticky, clammy skin to having moisture on your windows and walls.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, Dimon said rising interest rates, sticky inflation, and widening credit spreads are setting the stage for a wave of financial strain among U.S. companies.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The thorny legal issue over who gets to distribute long-running game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune has an update.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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The bloc’s landmark legislation known as the AI Act has proven particularly thorny for companies in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For years, Chicago Public School officials would send dozens of names of problematic employees to monthly board meetings for their dismissals to be signed off on.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
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Simon Callow is a new addition as a problematic billionaire funding Metropolitan Ballet Theater, as is David Haig, who plays its ailing artistic director.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump and Zuckerberg have a complicated history, with the president being critical of the Silicon Valley CEO's management of online censorship, which culminated in a ban from Meta platforms after the January 6 riots.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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So, Tokyo’s fear of Trump is more complicated than meets the eye.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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