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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of time bomb was in 1893

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.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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