1
as in intricate
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knotty
But the real crucible for the mayor is only just beginning to take shape, with her political prospects inextricably tied to the almost unfathomably knotty recovery ahead.
—
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Most feature a king-size bed, wood-burning stove, plenty of knotty wood furniture, and fresh white linens.
—Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 3 Jan. 2025
Outside the city, accommodations are typically alpine in style, with knotty wooden furniture, hearty meals, and scenic vistas.
—Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Most feature a king-size bed, wood-burning stove, plenty of knotty wood furniture, and fresh white linens.
—Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 3 Jan. 2025
Outside the city, accommodations are typically alpine in style, with knotty wooden furniture, hearty meals, and scenic vistas.
—Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Ramy Youssef’s More Feelings is a knotty sequel to Feelings.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for knotty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knotty
Adjective
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These new platforms need to be able to embrace intricate supply chain data, real-time alerting, and complex decision-support tradeoffs.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Their songs contained more complex sounds, and the mice switched between those sounds in more intricate patterns.—
Carl Zimmer,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But breaking with Russian gas has been difficult for Austria, which until recently was one of a handful of European countries to keep importing the fuel by pipeline.—
Stanley Reed,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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This year’s version of the Sox might be improved over 2024, but wins will be difficult to come by with so much youth and inexperience.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Refunds are typically smaller at the start of the tax season because low- and middle-income workers with simpler tax returns are often the first to file, while higher-income Americans or people with more complicated taxes tend to wait until closer to the April 15 deadline to file their returns.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Hackman played complicated men — many of them not very nice.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This all adds up to a tough investment outlook for any business looking at Ukraine’s mineral supply.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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How to Bet Timberwolves vs. Lakers Following up a game like Tuesday's would be tough for the Wolves under any circumstances, but with Edwards battling a calf injury and DiVincenzo potentially sidelined, beating the Lakers in L.A. will be that much more difficult.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What the presence of TSMC does do is complicate an already complex situation.—
Kerry Brown,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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That the aircraft impacted the ground so violently will no doubt complicate investigators' work, given the state of the physical evidence, Axios' Fitzpatrick adds.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This question asks for personal sensitive information that is protected by privacy laws.—
Terry Parris Jr.,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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Many fractional leaders work across industries or sign non-compete agreements to avoid working with direct competitors, but companies must establish clear expectations to protect sensitive information.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The study, published in the medical journal JAMA by the Benioff Homeless and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco, gives a complex statistical picture of a topic that has been fraught by conflicting narratives.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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Trump administration to acknowledge only a person’s gender assigned at birth, officials say Human biology is complex, and not all individuals fit neatly into binary categories, Evans told ABC News.—
Dr. Allia Vaez,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The collective tension as the game went on, and the poles became taller and more tangled, made every move exciting.—
James Palmer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Dec. 2024
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Her free-associative lyrics are either mesmerizingly strange or plainly hilarious, and her tangled, clanging riffs have an oddly soothing effect.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knotty. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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