quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
plural quagmires
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
Examples of quagmire in a Sentence
That was six months ago, when the Defense secretary laughingly dismissed the idea that Iraq was, or could turn into, a quagmire. But as Rumsfeld sat down last Friday morning to face Sen. John McCain, who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison, no one was laughing.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite a few diversions along the way, Minney keeps returning to craft as a solution to fashion’s many quagmires.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
By then, the American effort to create a democratic Iraq was becoming an unpopular quagmire, particularly among Democratic primary voters.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
Legislators seek solutions other than lawsuits For more than a decade, lawmakers have been chipping away at the ADA accessibility quagmire — working to incentivize businesses to comply with the law and to dissuade high-frequency litigants from suing so often.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Investors recoiled out of fears of an endless quagmire.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
By then, the American effort to create a democratic Iraq was becoming an unpopular quagmire, particularly among Democratic primary voters.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
Legislators seek solutions other than lawsuits For more than a decade, lawmakers have been chipping away at the ADA accessibility quagmire — working to incentivize businesses to comply with the law and to dissuade high-frequency litigants from suing so often.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Investors recoiled out of fears of an endless quagmire.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(ə)r
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
1
: soft spongy wet ground that shakes or gives way under the foot
2
: a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape
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