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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 A. Kissinger
a political land mine
Synonyms
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
These could include, for example, seeing armed groups withdraw from populated areas, reopening state development projects, and curbing concrete abuses such as the planting of land mines.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
Negotiators should aim to secure specific and verifiable commitments from armed groups to end practices such as recruiting children, planting land mines, and assassinating community leaders.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
On Tuesday night, Jackson posted about a threat made on social media warning of a land mine on campus, prompting the school's closure while law enforcement responded.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 4 Sep. 2024
The company sustained heavy losses in the early months of 1968, losing men to sniper fire, land mines and booby traps as the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launched coordinated attacks in the Tet Offensive.
—Adam Bernstein, Washington Post, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for land mine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'land mine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1890, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near land mine
Cite this Entry
“Land mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/land%20mine. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
land mine
noun
: a mine placed just below the surface of the ground and designed to be exploded by the weight of the vehicles or troops passing over it
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