CATCH-22 Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

catch-22

noun

ˈkach-ˌtwen-tē-ˈtü

Definition of catch-22

as in risk

a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol

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Relevance

as in dilemma

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history

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as in problem

a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of catch-22 The Catch-22 Blocking a Cure There is no cure for endometriosis. — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026 There’s a catch-22 for April stargazers. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026 The court’s decision left medical professionals in a Catch-22. — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026 In response, Epstein suggests Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, Theodore Dreiser’s The Financier, and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catch-22

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-22

Noun

Applicants can expect checks into their identity, source of funds, finances and assets, jurisdictional risk, as well as their criminal, reputational, and immigration history.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Thirteen are rated at very high risk or in default, and 23 have no rating from the big agencies, which cuts them from international bond markets.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of risk

Noun

The drug dilemma Don Moulds sounds exasperated when talking about prescription drugs, which have been political fuel for more than a decade.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
But strains at the top of the organization over its brand and direction reflect many premium news outlets’ dilemmas about survival and profit in a post-traffic, AI-ascendant media age.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilemma

Noun

Caputo vowed to prevent such pitfalls, with intelligence and financial oversight agencies helping to vet applicants' identities, criminal records and sources of funds.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Caputo vowed to prevent such pitfalls, with intelligence and financial oversight agencies helping to vet applicants’ identities, criminal records and sources of funds.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of pitfall

Noun

Her sister Judith can grow huge pumpkins, her twin brother Sammy can heal ailing plants, and her Auntie Dee makes pickles that can predict the future.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
The burger will drip all over your fries, which are included and cut like pickle chips.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of pickle

Noun

That is, until the referees wiped it off the board because Bell’s toe had stepped out-of-bounds prior to the catch.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
The Texans were facing third-and-14 when a hook-and-ladder play with a 2-yard catch by Dalton Schultz and a 19-yard run by David Montgomery set up that score.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of catch

Browse Nearby Words

catch

catch-22

catch-22's

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Style

“Catch-22.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-22. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch-22

noun

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