Hobson's choice
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.
He laments the use of fixed penalty notices, in which offenders are offered the Hobson’s choice of paying minor fines or fighting criminal offenses for a litany of “anti-social behaviors.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
“This circumstance presents noncitizens in removal proceedings with a Hobson’s choice between two irreparable harms,” Judge P. Casey Pitts wrote in his Christmas Eve decision.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025
Former acting Solicitor General Neal Kaytal said the ex-president will face a "Hobson's choice" to either answer questions or invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2023
They are caught off guard by the sudden change, and then face a Hobson’s choice — a choice where only one option is realistically feasible.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023
Whether or no, it was now Hobson’s choice with him; the trampling was louder and clearer; and but for an abrupt bend of the road above he could have seen the horsemen, as they him.
From No Quarter! by Reid, Mayne
