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
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Recent Examples of sticky wicket
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
In contrast, altering and editing an image can be a much more nuanced process that makes determining what part is from humans a sticky wicket.
—Drew McLellan, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
As with all questions of volcanic behaviour, the real sticky wicket is timing.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2023
Ant Group are currently on a sticky wicket.
—Prathamesh Mulye, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2021
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
In contrast, altering and editing an image can be a much more nuanced process that makes determining what part is from humans a sticky wicket.
—Drew McLellan, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
As with all questions of volcanic behaviour, the real sticky wicket is timing.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2023
Ant Group are currently on a sticky wicket.
—Prathamesh Mulye, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky wicket
Noun
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That dilemma will challenge Rubio, who has frequently criticized the Biden administration as too accommodating to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and too lenient in its policies toward Cuba.—
Michael Wilner,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2025
-
Consider this dilemma: someone has an old home in a high-price area and is considering adding a bathroom to the home.—
Cicely Jones,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Willard didn’t envy Illinois coach Brad Underwood’s predicament against Maryland’s big men.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Though bucks are known to get their antlers tangled up during fights on rare occasions, this predicament was particularly challenging — and called for very steady aim, according to wildlife officials.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
While James Beard-finalist chef Pushkar Marathe grew up in India, and his Stage menu does play with lots of chutneys and pickle, his small dishes are inflected with all kinds of global flavors, such as Korean bbq ribs with gochujang sauce and kimchi aioli.—
John Oseid,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
-
For me, simple congee with pickles and pork floss was perfect to help with digestion after more than a week of decadent meals.—
Amber Gibson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the concerns about how the state ended up in the budget hole to begin with, remains central to the blame game.—
Mikenzie Frost,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Jan. 2025
-
The Mets still have a gaping hole at first base and the two sides likely aren't too far apart on a deal.—
Zach Pressnell,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Bolsonaro believes Trump’s victory will put the present government in a bind.—
Armando Regil Velasco Fox News,
Fox News,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The city put itself in a bind by increasing rank-and-file police officer wages without providing comparable increases to supervisory ranks, Vallelong said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
By Annie Blackman Keke Palmer Reacts to TikTok Trends Keke Palmer goes down the TikTok rabbit hole to check out some popular trends!—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Verso Instruments View 6 Images Bold guitarists looking to push boundaries can go down the digital processing rabbit hole, but Verso's latest oddball build takes a more mechanical approach to shaping tones.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The locations team was worried, however, that the swamp was too slippery for actors, crew and animals, its bed made up of mud and roots.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2025
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Jim Paladino, Tampa Start with the swamp The Sun Sentinel recently published a letter by Deb Tarrant of Hillsboro Beach that could have been written by Trump himself.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near sticky wicket
Cite this Entry
“Sticky wicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky%20wicket. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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