thorny

These first two games were supposed to be the soft start, of at least a relatively gentle ramp-up to the thorny part of the schedule.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

In the hierarchy of group chats, ranked from most benign to active minefield, the mom chat is in its own atmosphere, the Victor Wembanyama of thorny text chains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Despite many thorny issues between them, both Copenhagen and Nuuk have presented a united front rejecting US President Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

The professor spends "a lot of time" in her class exploring Parton's politics - or "Dollitics", a phrase coined by the singer's nephew to describe her way of handling thorny subjects.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

It was a short, thorny reunion, but at least I had reconnected.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Those who trust these writers’ capabilities with using comic book properties as springboards to examine thornier issues can probably deduce that “Lanterns” is employing it for a specific reason.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Then it was back to even thornier negotiations in Russia–Ukraine, and Iran.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

If an agreement as superficial as the memorandum of understanding — which deferred thornier issues for late negotiations — was derailed, then there’s little option other than repeated cycles of violence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The U.S. and Iran struck a preliminary peace deal last week that broadly calls for a 60-day cease-fire and punted some of the conflict’s thornier issues, such as Iran’s uranium stockpiles.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

It frequents the borders of thickets, briar patches, or wherever there is a low, dense growth of bushes—the thornier and more impenetrable the better.

From Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 2, No. 6 December, 1897 by Various

But negotiations on some of the thorniest issues - including Iran's nuclear programme - will be deferred for 60 days, raising questions about how long this agreement will last.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

One of the thorniest retirement decisions is choosing where to live.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026

The chapter on fisheries, expected to be the thorniest as Iceland is intent on retaining control over its resources, had not been opened.

From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026

Money managers and advisers are increasingly recommending that families hold regular meetings to discuss their thorniest financial issues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

The Reagan had run afoul of nuclear power’s thorniest problem: radioactive isotopes.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland