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Showing results for Gordian knot. Search instead for gordian-knots.
Definitions

Gordian knot

NOUN
can of worms
Synonyms
WEAK
Pandora's box complex problem complexity complication difficult situation difficulty dog's breakfast entanglement hard nut to crack headache hornet's nest hot water mare's nest mess predicament problem quagmire quandary snafu snake pit snarl trouble troublesome problem unpredictable situation
NOUN
enigma
Synonyms
STRONGEST
conundrum puzzle
STRONG
bewilderment cliffhanger crux cryptogram grabber knot mystification parable perplexity problem puzzlement puzzler question riddle secret sphinx sticker stickler stumper teaser twister why
WEAK
mind-boggler mind-twister question mark sixty-four dollar question tough nut to crack

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 does, however, give “influencers” an infinite amount of material they either don’t understand or can manage to twist into whatever Gordian knot they want.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025

Could the administration try to unravel this Gordian knot by suppressing prices and pushing for easy money?

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

If generations of diplomats viewed the post-Soviet challenges of Eastern Europe as a Gordian knot to be painstakingly unraveled, the president envisioned an easy fix: The borders matter less than the business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

Shapiro dexterously untangles the Gordian knot of their entwined passions, shared ambitions and business bottom lines.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025

For many of us, this one is the Gordian knot of possessive puzzles.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.