75 entries under tricky topic. ×

5
awkward(adjective, tough, difficulty, difficult, delicate)
5
enigmatic(adjective, hard, evil, obscure, difficult)
5
mystifying(adjective, hard, evil, delicate, loose)
4
confusing(adjective, hard, complex, complicated)
4
entangled(adjective, hard, fancy, obscure, difficult)
4
obscure(adjective, hard, difficult, complex, sophisticated)
3
debatable(adjective, sticky, challenging)
3
subtle(adjective, hard, complex, complicated)
2
bothersome(adjective, tough, rough, difficult, heavy)
2
confounding(adjective, hard, complicated, puzzling)
2
deep(adjective, hard, evil, delicate, loose)
2
mysterious(adjective, hard, evil, delicate, loose)
2
nettlesome(tough, complicated, problematic, thorny)
2
paradoxical(adjective, hard, obscure, sophisticated)
2
spiny(complicated, thorny, spiky)
2
uncertain(sticky, challenging)
2
unfathomable(adjective, hard, obscure, sophisticated)
1
bewildering(adjective, hard, obscure, sophisticated)
1
challenging(adjective, difficult, complex, awkward, demanding)
1
hidden(adjective, hard, evil, obscure, difficult)
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APASmart Define. (2015). knotty thesaurus. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/knotty/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "knotty thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/knotty/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 24, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, knotty thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/knotty/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "knotty thesaurus" 14 April 2015. Web. 24 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/knotty/thesaurus/synonyms>