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.
Le Carré is not writing of ticking time bombs or plots to overthrow democracy, but of minor skirmishes behind the lines. Rav Grewal-Kök june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025 There is a ticking time bomb hanging over the economy this year, because Trump’s first-term tax cuts are going to expire at year-end. Kelly Evans, CNBC, 6 June 2025 For industries handling sensitive information, reliance on antiquated methods creates a ticking time bomb that fraudsters are eager to exploit. Quora, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025 What a ticking time bomb today’s Americans are leaving to our children. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 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 1 Jul. 2025.

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