1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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Her role focused on safeguarding the CFPB's sensitive data, including transaction records from credit reporting agencies, complaints filed by citizens, and information from Big Tech companies under investigation.—
Andrew R. Chow,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
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The request seeks information on DOGE's use of artificial intelligence, access to sensitive data, and its role in firing federal employees.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As college sports continues its rapid professionalization, the ACC is in a difficult spot.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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Most of the files are scans of documents, and some are blurred or have become faint or difficult to read in the decades since Kennedy's assassination.—
Joel Shannon,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In his acceptance speech for winning best director, Baker issued a call to arms over the touchy subject of how long a title plays exclusively in theaters before going to homes.—
Pamela McClintock,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
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And others point out that targeting churches, temples and other religious institution remains a politically touchy issue.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The opening weekend miss for what was a very buzzy Sundance title back in 2023 about a troubled but ambitious bodybuilder follows controversy around its star and comes at a tough time for indie films in general.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2025
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This likely helped maintain its brand trust during tough times. 8.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
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Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Trading was tetchy at first, floating between flat and a 1.5 percent gain.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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Read more Tesla's share price recovers ground after tetchy start Elon Musk's claims linking Ukraine to X outage spark backlash You're Fired!—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Getting out of bed early is less complicated than people think, according to Barrett.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
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The mechanics of an evacuation just aren’t that complicated.—
Rascal Kemble-Curry,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Fake or illegitimate reviews plague the internet, and such reviews are particularly problematic within fintechs, where customer trust is imperative to ensure confidence in services tied to sensitive information, such as your banking details or other personally identifiable information.—
Branden Abushanab,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Other areas where eclipse weather will be problematic will be near and along the Pacific coast of Washington, Oregon, and northern and central California where a marine layer of low clouds will be in place at eclipse time.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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