Meaning & use
Gordian knot
An extremely complicated problem that seems impossible to solve through ordinary means.
See it in a sentence
The merger negotiations became a Gordian knot of legal and financial disputes.
Rather than untangle the Gordian knot of regulations, the agency scrapped them entirely.
A note on using this word
Comes from the legend of Alexander the Great, who "cut" an impossible knot with his sword rather than untying it, giving rise to the phrase "cut the Gordian knot."
Words with a similar meaning
deadlockimpasse
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