1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol
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2
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history
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3
as in problem
a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices
an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catch-22
This lopsided ecosystem of ultra-rich tech moguls battling each other has enriched Nvidia while forcing application developers into a catch-22 of either using a low-cost and low-performance model bound to disappoint users, or face paying exorbitant inference costs and risk going bankrupt.
—
Kai-Fu Lee, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024
Select the right seat People who deal with migraines tend to be ultra-sensitive to motion sickness, which is a catch-22 because motion sickness can trigger an attack.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
Pepe and Lonergan may in fact be caught in a catch-22.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
To file, debtors owe an up-front fee that can exceed $1,000—a bizarre catch-22 for someone who can’t afford to pay their bills.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catch-22 
Kai-Fu Lee, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024
Select the right seat People who deal with migraines tend to be ultra-sensitive to motion sickness, which is a catch-22 because motion sickness can trigger an attack.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
Pepe and Lonergan may in fact be caught in a catch-22.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
To file, debtors owe an up-front fee that can exceed $1,000—a bizarre catch-22 for someone who can’t afford to pay their bills.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catch-22
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22
Noun
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Established by the Legislature to also cover communities at risk for wildfires, the plan has proved resilient, paying out billions of dollars over the decades, including after the 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and cost insurers $12.5 billion.—
Laurence Darmiento,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
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Assess your risk The importance of all this advice depends on a person’s health and their exposure to poor quality air.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Freaky Friday homeowner’s dilemma is, unfortunately, not uncommon for those who lost homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2025
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Another possibility: Trump’s blueprint could drive inflation higher while also weakening the economy – an unusual tandem that would pose a vexing dilemma for the Fed.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Instead, he’s accomplished the miraculous feat of returning from a 1,006-day absence with barely a hitch in his step.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
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And though for the majority of brides and grooms, their special day goes off with hardly a hitch, every so often, a true disaster happens that ensures the event is memorable ...—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Willard didn’t envy Illinois coach Brad Underwood’s predicament against Maryland’s big men.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2025
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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
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Bullock told Newsweek about both the strengths and pitfalls of the framework.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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Yet, many senior professionals fall into common CV pitfalls that can hinder their chances of standing out.—
Andrew Fennell,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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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Barring a last-minute snag, the #Lions OC lands with an NFC North rival.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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Listen to this article TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Kelce, with seven catches for 117 yards, had his best game of the season— hey, did anybody else notice that Taylor Swift was at the game?—
Vic Tafur,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Their catch is then sold to middlemen, who in turn sell them to exporters in Port-au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near catch-22
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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