double bind
noun
: a psychological predicament in which a person receives from a single source conflicting messages that allow no appropriate response to be made
broadly
: dilemma sense 1
Examples of double bind in a Sentence
the double bind faced by every politician: responding to scurrilous charges only gives them unwarranted publicity; not responding to such charges is often interpreted as an admission of guilt
Recent Examples on the Web
The influx of cheap and poor-quality clothing is flooding the market and creates a double bind for waste management: both filling bins with textiles that are of such poor quality they cannot be reused, and also undercutting even secondhand clothing on price.
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Rhonda Richford, WWD, 20 Feb. 2025
That’s a double bind in a region where households are both less financially able to weather severe climate events but — in many cases — more likely to experience them.
—Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
And then: • A Jewish magazine’s double bind • Can Kamala Harris win?
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
For the pop stars of ten or twenty years ago, girlhood and femininity presented a double bind.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for double bind
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Rhonda Richford, WWD, 20 Feb. 2025
That’s a double bind in a region where households are both less financially able to weather severe climate events but — in many cases — more likely to experience them.
—Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
And then: • A Jewish magazine’s double bind • Can Kamala Harris win?
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
For the pop stars of ten or twenty years ago, girlhood and femininity presented a double bind.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for double bind
Cite this Entry
“Double bind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20bind. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
double bind
noun
dou·ble bind
ˈdəb-əl-ˈbīnd 
: a psychological predicament in which a person receives from a single source conflicting messages that allow no appropriate response to be made
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