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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiny
It’s long been believed that the first of these animals sported a single, simple shell—but a new fossil, described this week in Science, suggests early mollusks were flat slugs with spiny armor instead.
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Molly Herring, science.org, 2 Aug. 2024
Aruban cooks add a spiny, light green cucumber, called concomber, to the stew at the same time as the potatoes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
But how could all these species, many of which evolved separately over the course of millions of years, come to have the same spiny feature?
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
A lot of them were extra plump, too, like the spiny larvae of the dagger moth.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny 
Molly Herring, science.org, 2 Aug. 2024
Aruban cooks add a spiny, light green cucumber, called concomber, to the stew at the same time as the potatoes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
But how could all these species, many of which evolved separately over the course of millions of years, come to have the same spiny feature?
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 1 Aug. 2024
A lot of them were extra plump, too, like the spiny larvae of the dagger moth.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiny
Adjective
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Antiaircraft fire kept the bombers so high, however, that aim was difficult to manage, and the bombs fell indiscriminately, destroying more than 4,300 homes while damaging three-quarters of the city's factories.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
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The decomposition products of chloramines are difficult to isolate and identify, and this substance has proven particularly elusive.Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The Buffs need to find a way to grind out tough yards on the ground, especially late.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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Bosa confirmed Wednesday that playing through a hip injury last game was the toughest pain he’s endured in 5 1/2 seasons.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In today’s digital age, data encryption is vital for protecting sensitive information.Ofer Lidsky, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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Microsoft also provides a way to exclude apps and websites from Recall, and the feature should also automatically detect sensitive information like credit card details, passwords, and personal ID numbers and not save those snapshots.Tom Warren, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Tarantulas Large, hairy and slow-moving, tarantulas might seem like a nightmare for arachnophobes.Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
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Amy Adams finds herself in a hairy situation in the first trailer for Nightbitch.Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Of course, anyone with a low tolerance for sugary sweet, sometimes sticky sentimentality would want to suck on a pack of lemons afterwards.Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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To avoid a potentially sticky situation, go with one of these six leak-free options.Catherine Garcia, theweek, 12 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The trademark application illustrates the thorny conflict-of-interest issues raised by Trump’s election victory and his sprawling business empire.Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
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Simultaneously, Christopher Nolan’s epic historical drama explored the thorniest corners of the 20th century — taking aim at the West’s use of nuclear weapons (notably without showing their horrifying aftermath) and earning nearly $976 million worldwide.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Even regular search results sometimes prove problematic though.Will Knight, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2024
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Evaluating these systems, researchers found a high benchmark for staying focused on tasks and weeding out potentially problematic inputs.John Werner, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But it’s not yet known whether there’s a limit to how varied and complicated these patterns can get.Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
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To make matters more complicated, the only way to bring in dump trucks and other machines that might be needed for a cleanup is by driving through Caltrans land.Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near spiny
Cite this Entry
“Spiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiny. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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