thorny
adjective
\ ˈthȯr-nē
\
\
thornier;
thorniest
Definition of thorny
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Examples of thorny in a Sentence
stay out of the thorny brambles unless you want a ton of scratches
Recent Examples on the Web
Critically, the statements, released by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Turkey’s Defense Ministry, did not say whether the thorniest issue — the size and complexion of the safe zone — had been resolved. — Washington Post, "Turkey and U.S. agree to cooperate in establishing ‘safe zone’ in northern Syria," 7 Aug. 2019 But in reality Trump’s positions on a range of issues have deepened challenges for urban communities like Baltimore to address some of their thorniest issues, from the poor air quality to continued lead poisoning. — Justin Worland, Time, "President Trump Condemned Baltimore as 'Disgusting.' His Administration’s Policies Aren't Exactly Helping," 31 July 2019 For Sestan, the thorniest issue centered on consciousness and whether the Yale team, inadvertently, might somehow have figured out a way to elicit it from dead flesh. — Matthew Shaer, New York Times, "Scientists Are Giving Dead Brains New Life. What Could Go Wrong?," 2 July 2019 Plus Apple made a big power play — and touched on one of the thorniest issues in the tech industry — with the launch of a small privacy feature. — Petra Cahill, NBC News, "Trump marks D-day, Border Patrol searches & a homeless man gets a second chance: The Morning Rundown," 5 June 2019 Fashion is sometimes guilty of sidestepping the bigger, thornier questions of life. — Mark Holgate, Vogue, "“I’m Doing My Best to Fit in Without Compromise”—Why Marine Serre Is a Force of Fashion," 20 Aug. 2019 Huawei, China’s largest technology company by sales, has been at the heart of worsening tensions and been called a bargaining chip in thorny trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump administration eases Huawei sanctions for another 90 days," 19 Aug. 2019 Bryan saw that the technology could help solve one of the thornier barriers to restoring salmon in the Columbia River and to boosting other struggling salmon populations: dams. — Eli Francovich, The Seattle Times, "More than a viral sensation, the Salmon Cannon could bring the species back to the Upper Columbia after 90 years," 19 Aug. 2019 Delays in emergency care present some of the thorniest dilemmas for nurses, physicians and emergency workers. — NBC News, "After a rural hospital closes, delays in emergency care cost patients dearly," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thorny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for thorny
thorny
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of thorny
: having a lot of thorns
: very difficult or complicated
See the full definition for thorny in the English Language Learners Dictionary
thorny
adjective
\ ˈthȯr-nē
\
\
thornier;
thorniest
Kids Definition of thorny
1
: full of or covered with thorns
2
: full of difficulties
a thorny situation
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