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catch-22

[kach-twen-tee-too] / ˈkætʃˌtwɛn tiˈtu /


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.

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Of course they are, because of a giant catch-22.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 1, 2026

Small publishers can be caught in a catch-22 when they have a sudden success.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 19, 2026

"That places them in a hopeless catch-22 where employers ask for work experience but the opportunities for young people to gain it have narrowed or gone," he will say.

From BBC May 27, 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

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




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