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
Example 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
In late winter to early spring, tiny white flowers that produce the spiny seeds, which are each about the size of a peppercorn, appear.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Feb. 2025
These small, spiny fish are notable for their bright yellow dorsal coloration.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Identifiable by their protruding upper jaw and spiny bodies, the new species had a few key features that set them apart.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
The afternoon sun kissed the spiny ocotillos and barrel cactuses as the neighbors waited to talk to an Arizona Republic reporter.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Feb. 2025
These small, spiny fish are notable for their bright yellow dorsal coloration.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Identifiable by their protruding upper jaw and spiny bodies, the new species had a few key features that set them apart.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
The afternoon sun kissed the spiny ocotillos and barrel cactuses as the neighbors waited to talk to an Arizona Republic reporter.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
-
There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But the Lotus ladies will have some tough competition, including seven-time winner Allison Janney, two-time winner Patricia Arquette, and potential double nominee Kaitlyn Dever.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
That’s likely a tough pill to swallow for Gomez, who typically launches her albums at No. 1.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The rise in interest rates and inflation could dampen the growth prospects of shale oil producers, particularly smaller companies that are highly sensitive to borrowing costs.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The business is also highly sensitive to energy prices and bitcoin price, two areas the president is able to influence through policy.—
Pete Gannon,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Stunning images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest Fighting fish, thirsty camels and hairy shrimp are all featured among the winning images of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The lack of dihydrotestosterone receptors across the rest of our bodies explains why these areas can remain hairy even after our hairlines have lost their fight against these hormonal changes.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Aphids excrete the sap as honeydew, leaving leaves sticky and susceptible to sooty mold.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Pitchers were becoming too dominant with the sticky stuff.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
When he was first announced as USC’s starting quarterback last November, Jayden Maiava stepped into a pretty thorny situation.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
That momentum continues today with the announcement of a $21 million Series A by Layer Health, an ambitious healthcare AI startup aiming to tackle some of the sector’s thorniest issues and overcome the industry’s biggest barriers to growth.—
Seth Joseph,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As the academic writing landscape evolves, EssayPro’s limitations have become increasingly problematic for students needing dependable assistance.—
Rowan Briggs,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
-
The possibility of an NIL-seeking athlete trying to stay enrolled at a university for many years, using a roster spot that would otherwise go to a younger player, has struck some as problematic and at odds with higher education goals.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Back in 2021, the starlet opened up about those complicated early days following Angel’s birth.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
-
After a long, complicated process to get approved for the transplant under public insurance, the brothers had an appointment in a Chicago hospital in April to go forward with more tests for the organ transplant.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share