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Gordian knot

British  
/ ˈɡɔːdɪən /

noun

  1. (in Greek legend) a complicated knot, tied by King Gordius of Phrygia, that Alexander the Great cut with a sword

  2. a complicated and intricate problem (esp in the phrase cut the Gordian knot )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Gordian knot Cultural  

  1. A complex knot tied by a Greek king. According to legend, whoever loosed it would rule all Asia. Alexander the Great, according to some accounts, undid the Gordian knot by cutting through it with his sword.

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By extension, to “cut the Gordian knot” is to solve quickly any very complex problem or to get to the heart of a problem.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Could the administration try to unravel this Gordian knot by suppressing prices and pushing for easy money?

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

If generations of diplomats viewed the post-Soviet challenges of Eastern Europe as a Gordian knot to be painstakingly unraveled, the president envisioned an easy fix: The borders matter less than the business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

Shapiro dexterously untangles the Gordian knot of their entwined passions, shared ambitions and business bottom lines.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025

The American experiment, sprawling across half a continent, was to be a Gordian knot too complex for any would-be Alexander to slice through.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2025

For many of us, this one is the Gordian knot of possessive puzzles.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.