land mine
noun
: a mine usually placed just below the surface of the ground and designed to be exploded usually by the weight of vehicles or troops passing over it
—often used figuratively
Every aspect of this scheme is a potential land mine.—
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissingera political land mine
Examples of land mine in a Sentence
parents of teenagers never know when they might set off an emotional land mine
Recent Examples on the Web
In Finland, talks with the domestic defense industry and anti-personnel land mine training for military personnel will start early this year.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The comment was an apparent reference to recent land mine explosions along the border that triggered tensions between the two countries.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for land mine
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Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The comment was an apparent reference to recent land mine explosions along the border that triggered tensions between the two countries.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for land mine
Cite this Entry
“Land mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/land%20mine. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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