knottier; knottiest
: marked by or full of knots
especially
: so full of difficulties and complications as to be likely to defy solution
a knotty problem
knottiness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of knotty in a Sentence
the knotty problems that arise when every nation is part of the global marketplace
the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues
Recent Examples on the Web
But the more important issue to address also will be the knottiest politically.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024
If more power is needed to cope with knotty traffic or to blitz up a highway onramp to merge with traffic streaming through Downtown LA’s Heart of Darkness where the 110, 101, 10 and 5 coalesce, the gas engine kicks in, bringing a grand total of 313 horsepower and an impressive 406 lb.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
His Warriors strikes the same knotty balance between reverence and corrective reassessment as a modern Disney remake.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
That finding has several important implications, particularly for confronting the knotty question of how people might overcome the tendency to submit to malevolent authority.
—Laura Niemi, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near knotty
Cite this Entry
“Knotty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knotty. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
knotty
adjective
knot·ty
ˈnät-ē 
knottier; knottiest
1
: full of knots
knotty wood
2
: difficult sense 2b
a knotty problem
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