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conundrum

Noun

IPA /kəˈnʌndrəm/

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Meaning in plain English

A difficult, confusing problem or question that requires careful thought because the answer is not obvious.

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Pronunciation

conundrum/kəˈnʌndrəm/

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Twelve relatives have different free dates
Every proposed date creates a clash
Finding one that works becomes a puzzle

A conundrum is a confusing problem that needs careful thought to solve.

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Finding a date that suited all twelve relatives was a conundrum.
The conflicting results presented a conundrum for the research team.

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Finding a date that suited all twelve relatives was a ________.

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conundrum — A difficult, confusing problem or question that requires careful thought because the answer is not obvious.

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A difficult, confusing problem or question that requires careful thought because the answer is not obvious.

Compare: Finding a date that suited all twelve relatives was a conundrum.

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Did you know?

Conundrum also has a playful sense: a riddle, sometimes based on a trick with words.

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