hornet's nest
noun
1
: a troublesome or hazardous situation
2
: an angry reaction
must have known that his frank comments … would stir up a hornet's nest—
U.S. Investor
U.S. InvestorExamples of hornet's nest in a Sentence
The principal entered the hornet's nest of angry parents.
His comments stirred up a hornet's nest of angry opposition and criticism.
Recent Examples on the Web
And the exact nature of the concrete and metal protecting the Iranian nuclear site known as Fordo isn’t known, introducing the chance that a US strike would poke a hornet's nest without destroying it.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 21 June 2025
Lanthimos’ most suspenseful work is also the closest he’s come to genuine horror, with blood oozing from the eyes while a score like a hornet's nest quickens the pulse.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
If diplomacy fails, the use of military force looms as the only other option--a hornet's nest that even Trump dared not stir.
—The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Arkansas Online, 23 June 2021
With its lease on life extended another year, the modernizing committee is looking into issues that could rile up the hornet's nest.
—Author: Paul Kane, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Dec. 2019
But the attempt to kick out KairosPDX charter school was a political hornet's nest.
—Bethany Barnes, OregonLive.com, 26 Apr. 2018
An order by Trump to revisit how the land is used has been like poking a hornet's nest with a stick.
—latimes.com, 16 Mar. 2018
Lawmakers are navigating a hornet's nest of competing issues and egos.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2018
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Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 21 June 2025
Lanthimos’ most suspenseful work is also the closest he’s come to genuine horror, with blood oozing from the eyes while a score like a hornet's nest quickens the pulse.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
If diplomacy fails, the use of military force looms as the only other option--a hornet's nest that even Trump dared not stir.
—The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Arkansas Online, 23 June 2021
With its lease on life extended another year, the modernizing committee is looking into issues that could rile up the hornet's nest.
—Author: Paul Kane, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Dec. 2019
But the attempt to kick out KairosPDX charter school was a political hornet's nest.
—Bethany Barnes, OregonLive.com, 26 Apr. 2018
An order by Trump to revisit how the land is used has been like poking a hornet's nest with a stick.
—latimes.com, 16 Mar. 2018
Lawmakers are navigating a hornet's nest of competing issues and egos.
—Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Hornet's nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornet%27s%20nest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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