land mines

noun

plural of land mine
as in risks
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized parents of teenagers never know when they might set off an emotional land mine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of land mines More than any other sports league, the WNBA is fraught with land mines that are ready to explode whenever a Black woman — like, Alyssa Thomas — commits a hard foul on, say, the league’s most visible star, Caitlin Clark. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 July 2026 One image showing land mines was widely republished by Thai media outlets and bolstered Thailand's claims that Cambodia had laid new mines along the border that wounded patrolling Thai soldiers. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 The younger Modrić’s childhood home in the village of Jasenice was abandoned and remains so to this day, with signs warning visitors of land mines in the area. — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 June 2026 The zombie commission was one of the final land mines Adams left behind for his successor. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026 Politics was the focus of the discussion, a topic that too often comes with land mines when two opposing views are on display. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026 Apopo says more than six million land mines may still be buried in the soil of Cambodia. — Scott Simon, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026 OpenAI’s paper conspicuously avoids specifying a corporate tax rate, a diplomatic omission that suggests the company knows where the political land mines are buried. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 At least 57 nations have live antipersonnel land mines in their territories. — Sagar Lekhak, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for land mines
  1. risks
  2. hitches
  3. booby traps
  4. snags
Noun
  • Measures to limit fire risks, such as bans on barbecues and certain outdoor work such as welding and use of electrical power saws are often ignored.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of risks
Noun
  • Before every project hits the factory floor, a computer analysis calculates every cut and sorts out unforeseen hitches that can bring traditional projects to a halt such as conflicts between plumbing lines and bearing walls, Glenn said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • In Houston, some drivers were up to their trailer hitches in lapping waters, while photos from Waco, Texas, showed roadways washed away by the storms.
    — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Definition of hitches
Noun
  • The gauntlet of booby traps culminating in the giant boulder that kick off Raiders is my single favorite opening sequence in a movie ever.
    — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
  • Picture Indiana Jones swapping his fedora for a Han dynasty helmet, dodging booby traps in dusty Chinese tombs.
    — Urnesha Bhattacherjee, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of booby traps
Noun
  • So now, more than a year later, and after hitting several snags along the way, the election-date change proposal has finally landed on the ballot, labeled Miami Referendum 1.
    — Tess Riski July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Although viewed as a bar-setter, the Eagles could hit a few snags this season.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of snags

Browse Nearby Words

land mine
land mines
landowner
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Cite this Entry

“Land mines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/land%20mines. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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