mare's nest

noun

plural mare's nests or mares' nests

Definition of mare's nest

1 : a false discovery, illusion, or deliberate hoax

2 : a place, condition, or situation of great disorder or confusion a mare's nest of intrigue and troubles with the money men— William Cole

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Examples of mare's nest in a Sentence

the lack of planning had resulted in the city's evacuation being a mare's nest of epic proportions

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The first known use of mare's nest was in 1576

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