rabbit hole

noun

Definition of rabbit holenext
as in dilemma
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape shoreline residents are finding themselves helplessly falling down a rabbit hole in their Sisyphean efforts to halt beach erosion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rabbit hole And his father—an entrepreneurial success in his own right—led him further down the investing rabbit hole. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026 The fraud investigation that followed led Pittsburg police and the FBI down a rabbit hole of sophisticated scamming networks; along the way police may have uncovered additional victims. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 Don’t let any seed of doubt creep in because that’s just going to bring you down the rabbit hole. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Still, that has not meant Trump has any less zeal for this 2020 rabbit hole. — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rabbit hole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabbit hole
  1. dilemma
  2. predicament
  3. pickle
  4. hole
  5. bind
  6. swamp
  7. corner
Noun
  • To address this dilemma, McDonald’s hired a young consultant to hedge the cost.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The political dilemma posed by restructuring goes beyond Xi’s affinity for industry.
    — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilemma
Noun
  • And Mitchell doesn't waste any time making the life-or-death stakes of the Platts' predicament abundantly clear.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of predicament
Noun
  • Vegans can also get in on the fun combinations; the Big Mack is loaded with Impossible Burger, vegan mozzarella and Thousand Island dressing, pickles, white onion, iceberg lettuce and sesame seeds.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This is the ideal cut for stir-fries, ratatouille, or zucchini pickles.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pickle
Noun
  • Place them behind the refrigerator and stove, under kitchen and bathroom sinks near pipe entry holes, and in the back corners of pantry shelves.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 16 Aug. 2026
  • While the district took a series of cost-cutting steps — including freezing spending on supplies, hiring and most new contracts, as well as laying off employees — successive budget updates showed the financial hole continuing to deepen.
    — Chaewon Chung August 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • The Hightower high lord and his armies have occupied Tumbleton and have Rhaenyra in something of a bind.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • States cannot file for bankruptcy, leaving the Prairie State in an unusually tight bind.
    — Gregory Kearney, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of bind
Noun
  • Farther downstream, there was the Lake of the Jarayés and the delta; upstream, the great swamp.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamp
Noun
  • No matter, seconds later Scott's corner threw multiple towels in the ring to stop the fight.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Beanie Bishop, one of the team’s newest corners, had two interceptions and a pass breakup.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of corner

Browse Nearby Words

rabbit
rabbit hole
rabbit holes
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Cite this Entry

“Rabbit hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabbit%20hole. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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