can of worms
noun phrase
: pandora's box
afraid of what we would find if we opened up the can of worms that is the CIA—
Richard Snider
Richard SniderExamples of can of worms in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Smart glasses can be just as discreet, but wearing them opens a whole other can of worms.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 27 Mar. 2024
So really, by definition, a can of worms, if the amendment process is opened up, either through a markup or on the floor.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
That in itself opens up a can of worms: Should a news organization go back in history to change a story based on information that comes out after it was originally published?
—David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023
If Formula 1 is concerned that changing the results of an old championship would open up a can of worms, it cannot be blamed; there are worms aplenty.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
Green points could then be redeemed to plant a tree under the customer’s name (but that’s a whole other can of worms).
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, just finding a creature that could’ve been this size opens a whole new can of worms for paleontologists to uncover.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 3 Aug. 2023
And the naval issue is an entirely different can of worms.
—Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2023
Cohen’s movie shows solidarity with the trans community, but stops short of opening that can of worms.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 June 2023
Victoria Song, The Verge, 27 Mar. 2024
So really, by definition, a can of worms, if the amendment process is opened up, either through a markup or on the floor.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
That in itself opens up a can of worms: Should a news organization go back in history to change a story based on information that comes out after it was originally published?
—David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023
If Formula 1 is concerned that changing the results of an old championship would open up a can of worms, it cannot be blamed; there are worms aplenty.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
Green points could then be redeemed to plant a tree under the customer’s name (but that’s a whole other can of worms).
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, just finding a creature that could’ve been this size opens a whole new can of worms for paleontologists to uncover.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 3 Aug. 2023
And the naval issue is an entirely different can of worms.
—Foreign Affairs, 27 Feb. 2023
Cohen’s movie shows solidarity with the trans community, but stops short of opening that can of worms.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'can of worms.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Can of worms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/can%20of%20worms. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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