1
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quagmire
The result has been a quagmire and a continuation of government ownership for much longer than originally intended.
—
Felix Salmon, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
By then, this game was simply a quagmire to be navigated.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Something that might have ultimately shown how these binaries are intractable, unsolvable, quintessentially American quagmires?
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2024
That creates a quagmire of subjective discussions about who else deserves pardons and is their cause politically justified.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire 
Felix Salmon, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
By then, this game was simply a quagmire to be navigated.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Something that might have ultimately shown how these binaries are intractable, unsolvable, quintessentially American quagmires?
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2024
That creates a quagmire of subjective discussions about who else deserves pardons and is their cause politically justified.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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Willard didn’t envy Illinois coach Brad Underwood’s predicament against Maryland’s big men.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2025
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Though bucks are known to get their antlers tangled up during fights on rare occasions, this predicament was particularly challenging — and called for very steady aim, according to wildlife officials.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The result is even better cleaning capability with none of the hair and fiber tangles that traditionally plague robovacs.—
Anthony Karcz,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Take the tangle of roots hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the living room.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Another possibility: Trump’s blueprint could drive inflation higher while also weakening the economy – an unusual tandem that would pose a vexing dilemma for the Fed.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
27 Jan. 2025
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The Freaky Friday homeowner’s dilemma is, unfortunately, not uncommon for those who lost homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Different plants, like nasturtiums, act as effective trap crops by being the more desirable plant for common garden pests — leaving the trap plant to be treated or removed over the one producing food.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Jan. 2025
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Avoid the trap of short-term gains that compromise long-term viability.—
Karlo Tanjuakio,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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While James Beard-finalist chef Pushkar Marathe grew up in India, and his Stage menu does play with lots of chutneys and pickle, his small dishes are inflected with all kinds of global flavors, such as Korean bbq ribs with gochujang sauce and kimchi aioli.—
John Oseid,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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For me, simple congee with pickles and pork floss was perfect to help with digestion after more than a week of decadent meals.—
Amber Gibson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As my colleague Ian Bogost remarked in a post on Bluesky this week, the morass of social-media posts and news articles often felt empty.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2024
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Carey thinks that the innovators that will emerge from the current morass relatively unscathed are the ones that have benefited from a parent company’s fiscal and resource scaffolding from the get-go.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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When draining the swamp, bring a map and flashlight.—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
1 Feb. 2025
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In a Napolitan News Service survey shared with Secrets, voters signaled support for the president’s moves to halt foreign aid, secure the border, and drain the swamp.—
Paul Bedard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Instead, Day and OSU stepped out of the quicksand and dominated No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Texas by an average margin of 19.7 points.—
Lauren Merola,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
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Escaping career quicksand requires an ongoing commitment to learn, unlearn, relearn, and repeat.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
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