Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

on the horns of a dilemma

Cultural  
  1. To be divided between two seemingly equal options and to be undecided as to which option to choose: “When Mary was offered two equally attractive jobs, she found herself on the horns of a dilemma.”


on the horns of a dilemma Idioms  
  1. see horns of a dilemma.


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.

See Examples For:

Mattis studied Sherman’s March to the Sea at the end of the Civil War, looking for insight on how “to always keep enemies on the horns of a dilemma, left or right, front or back.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 4, 2019

The response to Zootopia reminds us that zoos today are caught on the horns of a dilemma regarding their relationship with the wilderness.

From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2016

Such people will soon be impaled on the horns of a dilemma if Johnathan Napier of Rothamsted Research, an agricultural establishment in southern England, has his way.

From Economist ● Jul. 9, 2015

If inflation strengthens, however, the Fed could find itself on the horns of a dilemma.

From New York Times ● May 30, 2014

The Duchess of Pomposet was writhing, poor thing, on the horns of a dilemma.

From Mr. Punch Awheel The Humours of Motoring and Cycling by Sir John Alexander Hammerton

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training