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

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