tortuous challenges

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "tortuous challenges" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe difficult and complex obstacles or problems that require significant effort to navigate. Example: "The team faced a series of tortuous challenges during the project, but their perseverance ultimately led to success."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It is a voice that has long exuded gravitas on issues as diverse as wars in Bosnia and Iraq and the tortuous challenges of coalition government.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Although the Grizzly course clearly put the majority of the field of 53 through a tortuous challenge, there were no crashes, which may have been because of good visibility and the clear recent weather that allowed organizers to make the course fast but generally even.

The New York Times - Sports

He noted that two decades ago in Ireland's last tortuous vote challenging a benchmark Catholic teaching, voters barely approved divorce — but only because heavy rain deterred voters in the then-conservative west.

Huffington Post

Both magnetic resonance angiography and computerized tomography angiography technology are useful surveillance tools, but the trade-offs to consider include the risks of exposure to ionizing radiation, anesthesia, and different challenges to interpreting tortuous arteries or irregular anatomy versus aneurysm.

Genetics in Medicine

Its tortuous funding journey illustrates the huge challenge for Gordon Brown.

The Guardian - Business

Mr. Cooper's challenge to what he called "tortuous, artificial and labyrinthine" districting was joined by other litigation, leading to the creation of the 12th Congressional District, and to the election of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress.

The New York Times

The intervention by the former Liberal Democrat leader prompted a tortuous response from Hague when he was challenged about his position during a press conference with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

The Guardian

Ultimately, Syriza's biggest challenge may not be Angela Merkel but the tortuous road it will have to take not to betray those who so want to see it in power.

The Guardian

But the engineers were still struggling with the challenge of laying sewer lines under the tortuous lanes of the old city — a problem that defied the efforts of Dwivedi's predecessors all the way back to the days of the Raj.

The New Yorker

Difficult anatomy, such as small, calcified, tortuous access vessels and short angulated sealing zones, continue to challenge engineers.

Seminars in Vascular Surgery

The struggle to bring democracy to Burma has been so tortuous that it's easy to overlook the uncomfortable fact that the greatest challenge confronting the country's future now lies hundreds of miles from Rangoon, in borderlands where ethnic minorities are demanding their share of power.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a process or situation, use "tortuous challenges" to emphasize not only the difficulty but also the convoluted and complex nature of the obstacles involved.

Common error

Avoid using "torturous" when you mean "tortuous". "Torturous" describes something that inflicts pain or suffering, while "tortuous" describes something that is winding, complex, or difficult.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tortuous challenges" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "tortuous" modifies the noun "challenges". This phrase is used to describe difficulties or problems that are complex and intricate. As Ludwig AI explains, this phrase is usable to describe obstacles that require significant effort to navigate.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

28%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

2%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "tortuous challenges" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that effectively conveys the complexity and difficulty of a situation. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase describes difficult obstacles. While not extremely common, it appears in reputable sources like The Guardian and The New York Times, mainly in the News & Media context. Remember to avoid confusing "tortuous" with "torturous", and consider using synonyms like "complex difficulties" or "arduous tasks" to diversify your writing. Using "tortuous challenges" emphasizes the convoluted nature of the obstacles and adds sophistication to your descriptions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

arduous tasks

Replaces "challenges" with "tasks" and "tortuous" with "arduous", focusing on the effort required.

complex difficulties

Substitutes "tortuous" with "complex" and "challenges" with "difficulties", highlighting the intricacy of the issues.

complicated problems

Uses "complicated" instead of "tortuous" and "problems" instead of "challenges", emphasizing the confusing nature.

intricate hurdles

Replaces "challenges" with "hurdles" and "tortuous" with "intricate", picturing obstacles that need careful navigation.

demanding trials

Changes "challenges" to "trials" and "tortuous" to "demanding", underlining the testing aspect of the situation.

convoluted obstacles

Replaces "challenges" with "obstacles" and "tortuous" with "convoluted", stressing the winding and confusing path.

laborious endeavors

Substitutes "challenges" with "endeavors" and "tortuous" with "laborious", focusing on the hard work involved.

byzantine complexities

Uses "byzantine" instead of "tortuous" and "complexities" instead of "challenges", painting a picture of elaborate and confusing systems.

knotty issues

Replaces "challenges" with "issues" and "tortuous" with "knotty", emphasizing the tangled nature of the problems.

challenging ordeals

Replaces "tortuous" with "challenging" and "challenges" with "ordeals", increasing the intensity of the situation.

FAQs

How can I use "tortuous challenges" in a sentence?

You can use "tortuous challenges" to describe complex and difficult problems that require significant effort to overcome. For example, "The project team faced a series of "tortuous challenges" due to unforeseen technical issues".

What are some synonyms for "tortuous challenges"?

Some synonyms for "tortuous challenges" include "arduous tasks", "complex difficulties", or "complicated problems".

Is it correct to say "torturous challenges"?

While "torturous" and "tortuous" sound similar, they have different meanings. "Torturous" implies pain or suffering, while "tortuous" refers to something winding or complex. Therefore, "tortuous challenges" is correct when describing complex problems, but "torturous challenges" would only be appropriate if the challenges themselves cause pain or suffering.

What does "tortuous" mean in the context of "tortuous challenges"?

In the phrase "tortuous challenges", "tortuous" means complex, winding, or full of difficulties. It emphasizes that the challenges are not straightforward and require careful navigation.