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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Examples 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.
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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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Amphibians, including frogs and salamanders, are more vulnerable, Urban found, perhaps because their habitats are more sensitive to environmental changes.Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024
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Hot sauce: This won't make the final dish hot, but if anyone is sensitive, it can be skipped.Nicole Hopper, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But extracting data from a phone can be extremely difficult, depending on the model of the phone and the operating system.Holly Yan, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
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Add Fragrance That earthy pine scent is one aspect of a real tree that is difficult to part with when making the switch to faux.Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Performing Inflight Maneuvers Likewise, Germany's Fokker D7 was also highly touchy at the controls, particularly in prototype form; its thicker-than-usual wings resulted in some sketchy directional instability in a dive.David Szondy, New Atlas, 1 Dec. 2024
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But here’s another example of how lies beget lies, leading to some touchy situations.Noel Murray, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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In a time when people approach political, social and economic issues with a different set of information and fake news is rampant, the best way to do that is to approach tough conversations with stories rather than facts.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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The clients’ storefronts are positioned to succeed in a sometimes tough marketplace by focusing on exclusivity and quality.Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Even if a more irritable side of her personality has emerged, there’s no excuse for cruelty.R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
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In worst-case scenarios, pain can cause a dog to be more irritable and aggressive, like if a human had a severe headache and couldn't tolerate social interaction, Enomoto said.Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Boos rang around an increasingly tetchy Goodison at the end of Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Brentford, a game in which Everton had a player advantage for 56 minutes including additional time but could not muster enough quality to win.Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
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Sunak dropped his attempts at contrition and became tetchy and confrontational instead.Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
Adjective
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Some, like comedy kingpin Chuck Lorre, have more complicated deals that may eclipse those of the mega-earners due to back-end compensation terms for shows that perform well.Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
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But things get complicated when York and the spirit haunting her — known as Nolan Callahan in his days among the living — begin to feel a spark of romance between them.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Charging in cold temperatures Charging an electric vehicle in cold weather is generally not problematic.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
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Holiday shopping is just one example of a seemingly benign activity that could become problematic if AI is taken too far.Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ticklish
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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