| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | adversity | a difficult or unlucky situation |
| 2. | ambivalence | mixed feelings about choices |
| 3. | awkward choice | an uncomfortable decision |
| 4. | awkward situation | an uncomfortable difficult situation |
| 5. | balancing act | careful handling of competing demands |
| 6. | bind | a difficult situation |
| 7. | box | a trapped position |
| 8. | brain-teaser | a puzzling problem |
| 9. | catch-22 | a no-win paradox |
| 10. | complication | something making matters harder |
| 11. | conflict | a clash of demands |
| 12. | conundrum | a confusing, difficult problem |
| 13. | corner | a trapped situation |
| 14. | crisis | a time of serious difficulty |
| 15. | crossroads | a point requiring choice |
| 16. | crunch | a critical difficult moment |
| 17. | dead end | a situation with no progress |
| 18. | decision point | a moment requiring decision |
| 19. | decision problem | a difficult choice issue |
| 20. | delicate situation | a sensitive difficult situation |
| 21. | difficulty | a hard problem or situation |
| 22. | double bind | a no-win situation |
| 23. | doubt | uncertainty about what to do |
| 24. | enigma | something puzzling or mysterious |
| 25. | entanglement | a complicated involvement |
| 26. | equivocation | uncertain or evasive choice |
| 27. | ethical bind | a moral predicament |
| 28. | ethical problem | a moral difficulty |
| 29. | extremity | a severe difficult situation |
| 30. | fix | a hard situation |
| 31. | fork in the road | a point of choice |
| 32. | gray area | an unclear situation |
| 33. | gridlock | a complete standstill |
| 34. | hang-up | a troublesome obstacle |
| 35. | hard call | a difficult decision |
| 36. | hard choice | a difficult decision |
| 37. | head-scratcher | a puzzling problem |
| 38. | hitch | a small but troublesome problem |
| 39. | hole | a difficult situation |
| 40. | hot water | serious trouble |
| 41. | hurdle | a challenge to overcome |
| 42. | impasse | a deadlocked situation |
| 43. | indecision | inability to decide |
| 44. | inner conflict | a struggle within oneself |
| 45. | issue | an important problem |
| 46. | jam | a difficult situation |
| 47. | judgment call | a decision requiring judgment |
| 48. | knot | a tangled difficulty |
| 49. | labyrinth | a confusing complex situation |
| 50. | logjam | a blockage causing delay |
| 51. | maze | a confusing complex situation |
| 52. | mess | a difficult situation |
| 53. | moral bind | an ethical predicament |
| 54. | moral problem | an ethical difficulty |
| 55. | moral quandary | an ethical conflict |
| 56. | morass | a complicated difficult situation |
| 57. | muddle | a confused mess |
| 58. | mystery | something hard to explain |
| 59. | no-win situation | a situation without good options |
| 60. | obstacle | something blocking progress |
| 61. | ordeal | a painful difficult experience |
| 62. | pass | a difficult stage |
| 63. | perplexity | a state of confusion |
| 64. | pickle | a troublesome situation |
| 65. | pit | a bad difficult situation |
| 66. | plight | a difficult condition |
| 67. | position | a particular situation |
| 68. | predicament | a difficult, awkward situation |
| 69. | problem | a matter needing solution |
| 70. | quandary | a state of uncertainty |
| 71. | question | a matter needing decision |
| 72. | riddle | a puzzling problem |
| 73. | roadblock | something stopping progress |
| 74. | rub | the difficult part |
| 75. | scrape | a troublesome situation |
| 76. | situation | a set of circumstances |
| 77. | snarl | a tangled difficult situation |
| 78. | spot | a difficult position |
| 79. | stalemate | a standstill with no resolution |
| 80. | standstill | a complete halt |
| 81. | sticky situation | a tricky difficult situation |
| 82. | sticky wicket | a difficult situation |
| 83. | strait | a difficult position |
| 84. | straits | a difficult condition |
| 85. | tangle | a confused difficult situation |
| 86. | ticklish situation | a delicate difficult situation |
| 87. | tight corner | a difficult trapped situation |
| 88. | tight spot | a difficult situation |
| 89. | tough call | a difficult decision |
| 90. | tough choice | a difficult decision |
| 91. | trap | a dangerous difficult situation |
| 92. | tricky situation | a situation hard to handle |
| 93. | trouble | a difficult or worrying situation |
| 94. | uncertainty | lack of sure knowledge |
| 95. | vacillation | wavering between choices |
| 96. | vexation | a troubling difficulty |
| 97. | wavering | uncertain shifting between options |
| 98. | web | a tangled situation |
| 99. | wrench | a painful difficult choice |
| 100. | zero-sum choice | a choice with equal losses |
