1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knotty
Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings.
—
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Riley doesn’t know what to wear, who to take, or how to feel about an event with new romantic implications, and her dreams are meant to help her untangle each knotty decision.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2024
Thinking this way lets a translator cut through, or simply ignore, a lot of knotty problems.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
Look for pieces with knotty wood grain, raw tree bark, and woven twigs in a range of wood species.
—Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for knotty 
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Riley doesn’t know what to wear, who to take, or how to feel about an event with new romantic implications, and her dreams are meant to help her untangle each knotty decision.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2024
Thinking this way lets a translator cut through, or simply ignore, a lot of knotty problems.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
Look for pieces with knotty wood grain, raw tree bark, and woven twigs in a range of wood species.
—Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
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Free Dance: Always a crowd favorite, the ice dancers will bring elegance, passion, and intricate choreography to the ice.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
25 Jan. 2025
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These nonbanks include stock and bond mutual funds, money-market mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance companies and nonbank lenders, many of which have intricate ties to traditional banks.—
Russ Wiles,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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An aviation expert, along with the Army pilot, tells PEOPLE that Reagan National Airport can be especially difficult to fly into.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
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Those are the kinds of things that make (Trenin) a difficult player to play against.—
Joe Smith,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, disentangling cartel operations from U.S. interests in Mexico could be immensely complicated.—
Maria Abi-Habib,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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However, these breakthroughs come with inherent hazards, such as adversaries misusing AI, ethical issues and the difficulty of preserving transparency in complicated systems.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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More Americans than ever own pets, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, which means more of us will have to make tough decisions about an animal's health in the coming years.—
Claire Thornton,
USA TODAY,
22 Jan. 2025
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Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field against his old team, and Anunoby scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with tough defense on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the field for 16 points.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Strong winds sweeping through L.A. continue to spread the wildfires as well as complicate containment, with the biggest blaze — the Palisades fire — only 11 percent contained, fire officials estimated.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
12 Jan. 2025
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Bananas have high sugar which can lead to or further complicate diabetes in your cat.—
Olivia Munson,
USA TODAY,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Young people are particularly sensitive to their surroundings as their brains evaluate the environment to prepare them for independence.—
Yalda T. Uhls,
The Conversation,
30 Jan. 2025
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Unlike phishing campaigns targeting the entire workforce, red team exercises often involve precise objectives or trophies, such as gaining access to a critical system or sensitive data.—
Lauren Carpenter,
USA TODAY,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ensuring a stable and sustainable power supply is both complex and urgent, particularly in key regions like Texas, where the grid is already under strain.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Global supply chains are extremely complex, running through many different countries and across borders, and new fees could force companies to start the arduous process of re-engineering those lines.—
Andrew J. Hawkins,
The Verge,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The price hikes at the clinic happened for a reason that is symptomatic of the tangled web of federal policies that regulate drug pricing.—
Katie Thomas,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2025
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The scandal involves a tangled web of personalities and businesses.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near knotty
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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