can of worms

noun phrase

: pandora's box

I am afraid of what we would find if we opened up the can of worms that is the CIA.

—Richard Snider

Examples of can of worms in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This latest research opens a whole can of worms (pun intended). — Forrester, Forbes.com, 15 June 2026

Call this a can of worms carved open. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Letting Big Tech interact with a car’s hardware opens a whole can of worms. — ArsTechnica, 24 Mar. 2026

Very much like in Chinatown, Dahlia’s initial robbery eventually opens up a can of worms that exposes citywide corruption, including a scandal in which arson was used to clear slums for new real estate developments. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026

But the movie not wanting to open that particular can of worms isn’t surprising — this is a film that thrives on bloodshed and thoughtlessness. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026

In the meantime, citizens can ponder just why our leader opened such a huge can of worms. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026

Is that a can of worms the NCAA is willing to open? — Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026

One question that seemed to dominate conversation on Sunday had nothing to do with the genre-scrambling film’s Oscar chances, but, rather, its categorization as a comedy in the first place, which is a whole other can of worms. — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for can of worms

• gymnosperms
• isotherms
• reaffirms
• affirms
• confirms
• cutworms
• earthworms
• silkworms
• tapeworms
• wireworms
• angiosperms
• echinoderms