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
Turning into a quagmire, and with other Baldoni-leaning content creators and influencers publicly pushing back against their own subpoenas, that legal fishing expedition of sorts was cut short not long after by Lively’s Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Willkie Farr & Gallagher lawyers.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
After Wexner bought it, the vehicle sank into a quagmire of litigation over its provenance before things were resolved in 2016.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
But this is the wrong time for political sideshows or ethical quagmires.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
These more standard Core Ultra mobile laptop chips avoid this quagmire entirely, leaving that sort of experience to vendors like Framework.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
After Wexner bought it, the vehicle sank into a quagmire of litigation over its provenance before things were resolved in 2016.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
But this is the wrong time for political sideshows or ethical quagmires.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
These more standard Core Ultra mobile laptop chips avoid this quagmire entirely, leaving that sort of experience to vendors like Framework.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 26 July 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 9 Sep. 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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