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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
Then, when the risk of frost is over, seedlings can be planted in pots or on the ground outdoors.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2025
-
One example of such work would be thinking about how to minimize the risk that pathogens caught in a hospital sink would get aerosolized and spread to patients, said Joseph Graves, Jr., an evolutionary biologist and geneticist at North Carolina A&T State University and a leader of the project.—
Elizabeth Rayne,
Ars Technica,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Parallels run like the train tracks Davis and the cinematographer Pierre H. L. Désir Jr. depict — first as signifiers of the Great Migration and later, as L tracks cross and clatter, evoking Malaika and Nico’s upending romantic dilemma.—
Lisa Kennedy,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Without enough skilled workers, projects stall, costs rise, and economic progress slows, creating an epically problematic dilemma.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Models congregated outside in the smoking area, naturally, while the Burberry PR team could be spotted clinking glasses to celebrate their blockbuster show going off without a hitch.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2025
-
During showtime, the skit went off without a hitch, with Segel giving the iconic towel surprise before walking off-camera.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Compounding the sector’s overall predicament was the collapse of the federal government in December, forcing snap elections scheduled for Feb. 23.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Much like the Europeans, Trump looks at the Taiwanese and has little sympathy with their predicament.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
By focusing on building a robust and scalable business, Stripe has remained a market leader and avoided many common pitfalls of premature decision making.—
Will Fan,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Here are all the egg substitutes our experts swear by, plus where and when to use them and common pitfalls to watch out for.—
Audrey Bruno,
SELF,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The company mentioned Pinterest naming pickles as a top trend for 2025 as another reason for the new flavor.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
-
So what makes this gentle would-be romance between a bookstore clerk and a pickle vendor so timeless, so endlessly appealing?—
Jason Bailey,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Making your favorite sweaters, sweatshirts, and coats look brand new again is possible with a fabric shaver that wipes away snags in seconds.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The team’s historic start hit a major snag as injuries ravaged the program and forced the Horned Frogs to forfeit two Big 12 games.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But there was a catch—Monson knew all along that Pluto was not, in fact, a Rottweiler.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
-
The playful animals, which can grow to 7 feet long and 700 pounds, delight tourists at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and other oceanfront locations, while sometimes competing with salmon fishermen for valuable catches.—
Paul Rogers,
The Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share