1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
But all that interest, here, also can generate another ticklish dynamic.
—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
There’s a ticklish elusiveness to the portraits of Blume’s husbands in the book, and to those of her kids, Randy and Larry, as well.
—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
Transporting the patient 12 miles to Hartford Hospital would be ticklish.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
However, Apollo economist Torsten Slok said policymakers are in a ticklish spot now with inflation still above target and the soft jobs picture, putting the central bank’s dual goals of stable prices and full employment in conflict.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
There’s a ticklish elusiveness to the portraits of Blume’s husbands in the book, and to those of her kids, Randy and Larry, as well.
—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
Transporting the patient 12 miles to Hartford Hospital would be ticklish.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
However, Apollo economist Torsten Slok said policymakers are in a ticklish spot now with inflation still above target and the soft jobs picture, putting the central bank’s dual goals of stable prices and full employment in conflict.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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Rescuers then wait intently for any indication of life, using sensitive microphones or telescopic cameras or simply pressing an ear against the rubble, hoping to detect a voice, a knock or the faintest movement.
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So far, the administration has sued multiple states unsuccessfully in attempts to obtain sensitive voter-roll data to run through a federal database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program.
Adjective
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Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
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But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Adjective
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Manliness is a touchy subject these days, but there was a time when honorable combat was respected above the mere running of one’s mouth.
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Money is still somewhat of a touchy subject for Jason Bateman.
Adjective
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MacDonald agrees that some of Kiros' positions could put Democratic candidates in a tough spot.
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The 34 measures include cuts to income tax for low- and middle income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, tougher rules for employees' sick leave and a reduction of the country's stifling bureaucracy.
Adjective
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The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
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Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
Adjective
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But a closer examination paints a more complicated picture.
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The city also has some of the world’s most complicated rules about air-conditioning installation.
Adjective
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In the first week of testimony, Musk took the stand and couldn’t help but get tetchy.
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Edgily eager to shoot their scenes and get a move on with their acting lives, the increasingly tetchy trio are stuck in virtual drydock as all actual moviemaking has drained away.
Adjective
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Or will society collectively begin to see this as problematic?
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Calories Burned Chasing a calorie burn is especially problematic, according to De Leon.
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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