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
Identifiable by their protruding upper jaw and spiny bodies, the new species had a few key features that set them apart.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
The afternoon sun kissed the spiny ocotillos and barrel cactuses as the neighbors waited to talk to an Arizona Republic reporter.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
The Queen conch, spiny Caribbean lobster and the red fruit of the turk’s head cactus – national treasures on roughly the same footing as the Union Jack – all sewn into the flag flapping over the tarmac.
—Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
The dunes sagebrush lizard, also known as the sand dune lizard, is a spiny creature native to dunelands and shrublands in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
The afternoon sun kissed the spiny ocotillos and barrel cactuses as the neighbors waited to talk to an Arizona Republic reporter.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
The Queen conch, spiny Caribbean lobster and the red fruit of the turk’s head cactus – national treasures on roughly the same footing as the Union Jack – all sewn into the flag flapping over the tarmac.
—Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
The dunes sagebrush lizard, also known as the sand dune lizard, is a spiny creature native to dunelands and shrublands in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Additionally, generative AI maintains a detailed record of its decisions, offering a level of transparency that can be difficult to achieve in human decision making.—
David Paffenholz,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The worst of this is during residency, where 80-plus hour work weeks, 24-plus hour shifts, and difficult on-call schedules are the norm.—
Christopher M. Worsham,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This all adds up to a tough investment outlook for any business looking at Ukraine’s mineral supply.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Ties during Trump’s first term One of the hallmarks of the first Trump Administration was a tougher stance towards China compared to his predecessors, through tit-for-tat tariffs and an Indo-Pacific strategy that aimed to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the Western Pacific.—
Chad de Guzman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The indictment alleges Tian also sent Duan links to Google Drive accounts containing sensitive information on US military weapons systems, such as Bradley and Stryker US Army fighting vehicles.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
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Ilia’s Clean Line Gel Eyeliner is a sight for sensitive eyes.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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See 6 finalists for new position Starbucks is removing some drinks from its menu in March: See the full list Man busted in airport smuggling cocaine under toupee: Watch video of hairy situation Will an asteroid hit Earth?—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Concerns around sticky inflation and rising global tensions remain, and, what’s more, other growing threats such as the ballooning U.S. deficit, and the protectionist rhetoric around tariffs, have central banks around the world looking for alternatives.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
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The researchers started by utilizing machine learning algorithms to model the manner in which bitumen (the sticky black stuff in asphalt) oxidizes and hardens in response to environmental factors.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Genealogical discovery calls for thorny detective work.—
Sara Georgini,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Mar. 2025
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The Fab Five was supposed to be used again this year but, likely due to the impossibly thorny optics of introducing Best Actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón and the controversy surrounding her Islamophobic and anti-Black tweets, the format was nixed.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While many countries, states and major companies have taken steps to ban problematic plastics and set ambitious goals for waste reduction, the collective effort is still falling far short of what's needed to stem the tide of plastic waste.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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Yet deeply ingrained in U.S. culture is the problematic notion that being a monolingual English speaker should be the norm.—
Annie Abbott,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Kurdish people have had a complicated relationship with Erdogan.—
CNN,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
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To give an idea of the complicated setting: Patrick Baladi plays Andrew, Charlotte’s lawyer husband who is hired as Jess’s defense when she is accused of harming her 10-month-old.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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