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
The president also does not want to be seen by voters as having dragged the United States into another costly Middle East quagmire.
—Sam Metz, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
With a day to digest the defeat, the Spurs’ message at Thursday’s media session was that their play in Game 1 was out of character, especially in a 40-point quagmire of a second half.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The government of Netanyahu is now leading the country into another potential quagmire in Lebanon.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
International sporting competitions such as the International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, have condemned the concept as a moral and ethical quagmire.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Sam Metz, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
With a day to digest the defeat, the Spurs’ message at Thursday’s media session was that their play in Game 1 was out of character, especially in a 40-point quagmire of a second half.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The government of Netanyahu is now leading the country into another potential quagmire in Lebanon.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
International sporting competitions such as the International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, have condemned the concept as a moral and ethical quagmire.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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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