as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with both sets of in-laws insisting that we spend Thanksgiving with them, we were on a sticky wicket indeed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of sticky wicket
Of philosophy’s many sticky wickets, consciousness is perhaps the most perplexing.
—
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
To that, timestamps may prove a sticky wicket for a part of Baldoni’s argument against the Times.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
The other sticky wicket in the Paramount-Skydance merger is Trump’s current lawsuit against CBS News.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
That third spot is a sticky wicket for a team projected to be just outside the top five in the game.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK published 18 September 2024
A cricketing powerhouse for decades, Pakistan's national team have suddenly found themselves on a sticky wicket.
—Harriet Marsden, theweek, 18 Sep. 2024
Much of its lexicon sounds both unapproachable and, well, just weird: sticky wicket, googly, yorker, jaffa, daisy cutter, silly mid off, maiden over, tickle, nurdle, trundler, paddle scoop, popping crease, golden duck.
—Chris Heath, The Atlantic, 25 July 2024
While reforms have been proposed in the past under other leaders, they have gotten caught up in a sticky wicket of state bureaucracy.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024
The situation is a sticky wicket, to use an old-fashioned term from the sport of cricket, for the countless interest groups that depend on money from the budget.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wicket
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
And Prince George, who is third in line to the throne, is apparently in that predicament.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Layer the onions, 2 to 3 bacon pieces, and 2 to 3 pickles over the patty.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Add a small amount of pickle juice or vinegar to your egg salad.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The crash also resulted in a large hole in the side of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
-
The piece has seven holes for customization, and it’s designed to be worn at the hips or waist.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Each of those cases put the council in a bind.—
Los Angeles City Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
But facing an already high rate of inflation, the Fed is in a bind, said Cutsinger of FAU.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Chris is a freelance journalist who, when not writing or falling further down the Lego rabbit hole, indulges his taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
15 June 2026
-
That level of detail means even the smallest uncertainty can send her down a research rabbit hole.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Sticky wicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wicket. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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