as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
this promises to be a spiny problem to negotiate
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
English Holly The most popular type of holly seen during the holidays is English holly (Ilex aquifolium), distinguished by its spiny evergreen leaves in deep glossy green or green edged in gold.
—
Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Unlike the common carp, which has a long spiny dorsal fin and a whiskerlike barbel near its mouth, the white amur has a short dorsal fin with no spines.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024
These spiny mammals are members of the Erinaceidae family and date back approximately 15 million years ago.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Generally, deer don’t prefer plants that are fuzzy, highly aromatic, spiny, or spiky.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny 
Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Unlike the common carp, which has a long spiny dorsal fin and a whiskerlike barbel near its mouth, the white amur has a short dorsal fin with no spines.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024
These spiny mammals are members of the Erinaceidae family and date back approximately 15 million years ago.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Generally, deer don’t prefer plants that are fuzzy, highly aromatic, spiny, or spiky.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Simplifying Complexity Through Narratives Leaders often need to communicate complex strategies or concepts, which can be difficult for teams to fully grasp.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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The emotional weight of losing that independence is difficult to quantify, but its impact is profound.—
John Hope Bryant,
TIME,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field against his old team, and Anunoby scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with tough defense on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the field for 16 points.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Though not nearly as consequential as Dallas losing Dončić, Minnesota took a tough blow Monday — Donte DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely due to a toe injury.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Allergies acting up: Homeowners who are sensitive to dust, pollen, or animal hair may notice their allergies acting up before anything else.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
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During the 2024 presidential campaign, as Musk embraced the Republican Party and then Trump, his pro-China views brought him into conflict with parts of the MAGA coalition, including on the sensitive topic of immigration.—
John Hyatt,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Multiple sightings of a large, hairy animal-like man have been reported over the past few decades, and the creature has inspired a number of pieces of literature.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2024
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The year-in-review found Greece had the highest percentage of bears of any country Who doesn’t love a hairy chest and a crystal blue ocean? Which country has the most twinks?—
Quispe López,
Them,
5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The sticky oil can be applied directly to the belly and over right side of the abdomen, but holistic health enthusiasts like to soak a piece of cotton or flannel and apply heat for more intense delivery.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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Like other Thai cities, Chiang Rai boasts its fair share of markets and night bazaars, where visitors can browse Thai handicrafts and sample khao soi (a curry noodle soup that’s a northern specialty) and mango sticky rice at their own pace.—
Tanvi Chheda,
AFAR Media,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This means tackling the thorny issues of four-year college costs and the overall value of college degrees with greater urgency.—
Jamie Merisotis,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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Access to television broadcasts has been a thorny issue for many fans of the Charlotte Hornets.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Dana, the law professor, sees the contracts Weidner has signed with St. Petersburg and other cities as problematic for exactly that reason.—
Ben Wieder,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
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The parallel plotlines involving Ali’s possible descendants and problematic antecedents, including a father (Ercan Kesal) who seems to be particularly abusive towards his wife, collide in highly unusual ways during the movie’s volatile second half.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, disentangling cartel operations from U.S. interests in Mexico could be immensely complicated.—
Maria Abi-Habib,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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As technology has improved, the paint jobs have gotten increasingly complicated and creative.—
Jesse Granger,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near spiny
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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