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
Its canes are reddish in color and covered with spiny thorns.
—
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
But golden spiny mice have made some adaptations that give them a better chance at longer life.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The physical description evokes a compact, spiny, wide-eyed animal — the kind of species that would stand out immediately in a field encounter.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
But golden spiny mice have made some adaptations that give them a better chance at longer life.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The physical description evokes a compact, spiny, wide-eyed animal — the kind of species that would stand out immediately in a field encounter.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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That's because the edges of your vision are more sensitive to light.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
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Dick and Tweety became a formidable team in running Camp Mystic – he the unquestioned leader who oversaw all operations and she the sensitive surrogate mother for campers.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Key differences include hollow versus solid stems, branched versus single stems and hairy versus smooth leaves.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
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Plants with hairy leaves can also be more vulnerable to damage from neem oil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok has warned the combination of tariffs, sticky inflation, and slowing growth can create a stagflation-like setup, one that would be hostile to both markets and consumers.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other works in Pau’s repertoire deal with thorny subjects via more oblique and disjointed imagery.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
The winner will confront a number of thorny issues, including high rents, a stubborn homelessness crisis and street lights stripped of copper wire.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
If California can’t take care of its citizens first, that’s problematic.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Tight waterways also make escorting convoys problematic, as there is little room to maneuver to avoid threats.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Alabama faces a complicated situation due to years of litigation over its congressional districts.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
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Goldie, born Clifford Price in Walsall, England, in 1965, had a complicated childhood.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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