time bomb
noun
1
: a bomb so made as to explode at a predetermined time
2
: something with a potentially dangerous or detrimental delayed reaction
Examples of time bomb in a Sentence
He's a time bomb getting ready to explode.
If we don't do something about the pollution problem, we'll be sitting on a ticking time bomb.
Recent Examples on the Web
China is trying to defuse a financial time bomb that could severely damage its banking system.
—
Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
Here, he’s taken a script by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik about a vintage tabloid scandal and, along with his 100-percent on-point cast, turned it into a three-way character study that’s a ticking time bomb.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023
Climate & Environment ‘A ticking time bomb’: Why California can’t provide safe drinking water to all its residents
Sept. 27, 2023
Avalon Mayor Anni Marshall would not go that far.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
From that moment on, the structure was basically a time bomb.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
Any thoughts on how to help defuse this potential time bomb?
Work Advice: Dealing with a toxic 'girlboss' might mean moving on
Karla: Neither of your leads is being 100 percent professional here.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
That’s because a demographic time bomb is detonating quietly, and its fallout will have a profound effect on the labor market and society at large.
—Sander Van ‘t Noordende, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
The ticking time bomb on the ship where much of the action transpires is a nuclear warhead.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
This is mass destruction, a time bomb right behind my yard.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
See More
Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
Here, he’s taken a script by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik about a vintage tabloid scandal and, along with his 100-percent on-point cast, turned it into a three-way character study that’s a ticking time bomb.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023
Climate & Environment ‘A ticking time bomb’: Why California can’t provide safe drinking water to all its residents
Sept. 27, 2023
Avalon Mayor Anni Marshall would not go that far.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
From that moment on, the structure was basically a time bomb.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
Any thoughts on how to help defuse this potential time bomb?
Work Advice: Dealing with a toxic 'girlboss' might mean moving on
Karla: Neither of your leads is being 100 percent professional here.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
That’s because a demographic time bomb is detonating quietly, and its fallout will have a profound effect on the labor market and society at large.
—Sander Van ‘t Noordende, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
The ticking time bomb on the ship where much of the action transpires is a nuclear warhead.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
This is mass destruction, a time bomb right behind my yard.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'time bomb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near time bomb
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20bomb. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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