land mine

noun

Definition of land minenext
as in hitch
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 mine The September 1997 issue, which went to print a few weeks before Diana’s untimely death, included a photo of her alongside Elizabeth Dole at a Red Cross event for land mine survivors. — Caroline Hallemann, Vanity Fair, 13 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 See All Example Sentences for land mine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for land mine
  1. hitch
  2. risk
  3. snag
  4. booby trap
Noun
  • Sale appeared to have a slight hitch in his leg before starting his motion when he was called for his third career balk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Rookie cornerback Chris Johnson had a line-of-scrimmage tackle on a quick hitch to Malik Washington.
    — Omar Kelly August 6, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of hitch
Noun
  • An executive order followed in August 2025, then OCC bulletins in September telling banks to base service decisions on objective risk.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Given the risk of punishment or even execution, some contributions are anonymized or voices altered.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of risk
Noun
  • Back up in his own end zone, Robinson blew past outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, made the snag from Tagovailoa and jogged the rest of the way to the goal line.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Despite my pup’s best attempts, there have been no snags or stains.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of snag
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 trap

Browse Nearby Words

landmasses
land mine
land mines
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Cite this Entry

“Land mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/land%20mine. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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