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
That country fought back harder than the Russian dictator predicted, resulting in a quagmire that over time has weakened Putin.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
And even as many Trump allies still criticize former President George W. Bush for bringing the US into long-running wars in the Middle East, Republicans largely harbor no such fears of Venezuela becoming a similar quagmire.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2025
But underlying that drumbeat is a quagmire of epic proportions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Among the many conservatives who support Israel, there is a concern that America could become entangled in a quagmire in Iran.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
And even as many Trump allies still criticize former President George W. Bush for bringing the US into long-running wars in the Middle East, Republicans largely harbor no such fears of Venezuela becoming a similar quagmire.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2025
But underlying that drumbeat is a quagmire of epic proportions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Among the many conservatives who support Israel, there is a concern that America could become entangled in a quagmire in Iran.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 30 Oct. 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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