catch-22

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s a catch-22 for runners, because that’s also what makes you feel like you’re a part of something,” Mundy said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

The catch-22 is that while stem cell transplants can prevent this failure, the usual preparative chemotherapy or radiation can cause severe complications or even cancer.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

Doctors were concerned Eisa was in a "catch-22" situation as he needed treatment for a problem with his heart, but LAD-1 caused problems with wound healing.

From BBC • May 4, 2025

This conclusion is known as the firewall paradox, a catch-22 that meant any solution to the information paradox must come at the cost of destroying what we know about black holes.

From Scientific American • Aug. 22, 2022

As a result of the Armstrong decision, defendants who suspect racial bias on the part of prosecutors are trapped in a classic catch-22.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander