quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
plural quagmires
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
Examples of quagmire in a Sentence
That was six months ago, when the Defense secretary laughingly dismissed the idea that Iraq was, or could turn into, a quagmire. But as Rumsfeld sat down last Friday morning to face Sen. John McCain, who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison, no one was laughing.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Recent Examples on the Web
However, some law professors and legal commentators say the Supreme Court helped create the legal quagmire that's unfolded by waffling over what the administration must do.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
The reasons for the ongoing bargaining quagmire since that contract expired in June 2021 are in dispute, but real issues remain.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
This is not a bureaucratic quagmire or a FEMA-like situation.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, heavy rains—likely influenced by the volcanic disruptions—turned the battlefield into a muddy quagmire, delaying Napoleon's attacks and aiding the Allied forces' eventual victory.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
The reasons for the ongoing bargaining quagmire since that contract expired in June 2021 are in dispute, but real issues remain.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
This is not a bureaucratic quagmire or a FEMA-like situation.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, heavy rains—likely influenced by the volcanic disruptions—turned the battlefield into a muddy quagmire, delaying Napoleon's attacks and aiding the Allied forces' eventual victory.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(ə)r
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
1
: soft spongy wet ground that shakes or gives way under the foot
2
: a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape
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