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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The plan before the PUC was first proposed last year and has been criticized as bloated and a looming fiscal time bomb for ratepayers. Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025 Think of it as a demographic time bomb—a workforce model hollowed out by dwindling younger generations and inflamed by an untapped reservoir of seasoned workers sidelined by outdated policies and biases. Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 Zsa-zsa is a survivor and a fighter and an indefatigable entrepreneur; his relentless energy is matched by nothing else other then Alexandre Desplat’s thrilling ticking time bomb of a score. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 But state officials knew those ARPA dollars would be exhausted by 2026 and that using them to cover recurring expenses was a ticking fiscal time bomb, a huge hole that eventually would have to be filled some other way. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for time bomb

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

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Cite this Entry

“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20bomb. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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