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double bind

noun [C usually singular]
 
 

Definition

a difficult situation in which, whatever action you decide to take, you cannot escape unpleasant results: The headteacher is caught in a double bind because whether she expels the boy or lets him off, she still gets blamed.Difficult situations and unpleasant experiencesAccidents and disasters
(Definition of double bind noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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