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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Recent Examples of quagmire
With a day to digest the defeat, the Spurs’ message at Thursday’s media session was that their play in Game 1 was out of character, especially in a 40-point quagmire of a second half.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Neither resulted in lasting security improvements and instead left indelible, traumatic scars on Israel’s collective consciousness, creating the image of Lebanon as a quagmire into which Israel has been repeatedly drawn.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
International sporting competitions such as the International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, have condemned the concept as a moral and ethical quagmire.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 May 2026
The quagmire in Ukraine and persistent inflation have weighed on sentiment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Neither resulted in lasting security improvements and instead left indelible, traumatic scars on Israel’s collective consciousness, creating the image of Lebanon as a quagmire into which Israel has been repeatedly drawn.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
International sporting competitions such as the International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, have condemned the concept as a moral and ethical quagmire.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 May 2026
The quagmire in Ukraine and persistent inflation have weighed on sentiment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quagmire
Noun
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Rather than allow the observatory to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, NASA turned Swift’s predicament into a test of an emerging technology — robotic satellite servicing.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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And Prince George, who is third in line to the throne, is apparently in that predicament.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Fire up the grill, toast the buns and lean into indulgence with meaty beef patties layered beneath smoky bacon, oozing cheese and sweet onions softened to a slippery tangle.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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Ionic technology helps regulate heat and flatten thick hair types while eliminating frizz, and the ceramic plates deliver a shiny, snag-free finish that's especially useful for thick hair prone to tangles.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Perhaps every story in which the characters are fundamentally unable to change their lives is subject to this same dilemma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
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Casa Amor, as a concept, is traditionally structured like a prisoner’s dilemma, with neither the main villa nor Casa Islanders aware of what their counterparts are doing while they’re separated.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Noun
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The lone bright spot from the midfield was the solid presence of Pedri who played out of position and still had a decent all-around performance, but even he was criticized by many on social media for falling into a familiar trap.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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Golden State sent more traps than usual and didn’t allow the former Notre Dame standout to get clean looks at the rim or from the 3-point line.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Layer the onions, 2 to 3 bacon pieces, and 2 to 3 pickles over the patty.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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Add a small amount of pickle juice or vinegar to your egg salad.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The massive language model is a morass of words connecting to other words.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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These elements and more could help move the needle on the nation’s housing morass.—
Alex Schwartz,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
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These many watering holes are reflective of the Lone Star state's varied geographic regions, from bald cypress swamps to mountainous desert lakes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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Bright orange milkweed aphids (Aphis nerii) usually emerge toward the end of summer and feed in clusters on the stems and leaves of common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and other milkweed plants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Noun
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There are reasons the 2026 Giants aren’t trapped in the same quicksand as the Mets, Phillies or Red Sox, and those reasons are encouraging.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Such fluidity also extends to Amrum itself, where the land and water ebb and flow into one another, forming mudflats and murky patches of quicksand.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quagmire. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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