as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spiny
It’s long been believed that the first of these animals sported a single, simple shell—but a new fossil, described this week in Science, suggests early mollusks were flat slugs with spiny armor instead.
—
Molly Herring, science.org, 2 Aug. 2024
Aruban cooks add a spiny, light green cucumber, called concomber, to the stew at the same time as the potatoes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
But how could all these species, many of which evolved separately over the course of millions of years, come to have the same spiny feature?
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
A lot of them were extra plump, too, like the spiny larvae of the dagger moth.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny 
Molly Herring, science.org, 2 Aug. 2024
Aruban cooks add a spiny, light green cucumber, called concomber, to the stew at the same time as the potatoes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
But how could all these species, many of which evolved separately over the course of millions of years, come to have the same spiny feature?
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
A lot of them were extra plump, too, like the spiny larvae of the dagger moth.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
Antiaircraft fire kept the bombers so high, however, that aim was difficult to manage, and the bombs fell indiscriminately, destroying more than 4,300 homes while damaging three-quarters of the city's factories.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
-
The decomposition products of chloramines are difficult to isolate and identify, and this substance has proven particularly elusive.Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Another commenter urged the original poster to stand her ground, and suggested a practical approach in the midst of the tough situation.Rachel Raposas, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
-
Powell inhabits a handful of tough guys and embodies a few more idiosyncratic tropes—a long-haired Russian, a Patrick Bateman power-suit type, and a character seemingly inspired by Tilda Swinton—to convince his marks.Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Microsoft also provides a way to exclude apps and websites from Recall, and the feature should also automatically detect sensitive information like credit card details, passwords, and personal ID numbers and not save those snapshots.Tom Warren, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
-
In today’s digital age, data encryption is vital for protecting sensitive information.Ofer Lidsky, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Tarantulas Large, hairy and slow-moving, tarantulas might seem like a nightmare for arachnophobes.Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
-
Amy Adams finds herself in a hairy situation in the first trailer for Nightbitch.Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
They are embedded in a sticky pulp that is greenish-brown.Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024
-
The sections with sticky, sloppy mud and hog ruts threatened to take the shoes right off our feet.Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The trademark application illustrates the thorny conflict-of-interest issues raised by Trump’s election victory and his sprawling business empire.Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Simultaneously, Christopher Nolan’s epic historical drama explored the thorniest corners of the 20th century — taking aim at the West’s use of nuclear weapons (notably without showing their horrifying aftermath) and earning nearly $976 million worldwide.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
But golden mussels could be particularly problematic for water infrastructure and the Delta’s ecosystem if the species spreads and flourishes, said Andrew Rypel, a professor of fish ecology and director of UC Davis’ Center for Watershed Sciences.Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Evaluating these systems, researchers found a high benchmark for staying focused on tasks and weeding out potentially problematic inputs.John Werner, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Any changes to increase platform liability could also directly impact Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X, which could make deciding how to act on the issue more complicated.Clare Duffy, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
-
Travel was complicated on Thursday due to wintery storms that blanketed parts of the East Coast and northeastern U.S., with an Arctic blast expected to produce heavy snowfall in some ares bordering the Great Lakes over the weekend.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near spiny
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share