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
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Recent Examples of land mines
This home was not his main compound, sources said, and the area was not studded with land mines.
—
Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Because there are traps, and there are tricks, and there are land mines.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
In a world where Americans have an average of five credit cards each, Laplanche warned of a financial landscape full of land mines.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
By 1999, the use, production and transport of antipersonnel land mines had been banned globally.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Russia has used land mines in its invasion of Ukraine, and in July accused Ukraine of doing so too, after Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Because there are traps, and there are tricks, and there are land mines.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
In a world where Americans have an average of five credit cards each, Laplanche warned of a financial landscape full of land mines.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
By 1999, the use, production and transport of antipersonnel land mines had been banned globally.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Russia has used land mines in its invasion of Ukraine, and in July accused Ukraine of doing so too, after Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for land mines
Noun
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And while some seasons in the past have felt safe in the Italian fashion capital, many Milan designers took risks this season, pushing a distinct vision.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
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But that risks projecting the weakness Tehran is so allergic to.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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Their 2025-26 season has been littered with injury landmines and other booby traps hidden in the walls of Ball Arena.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That mission, which will send three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day trip around the moon, has faced a series of delays due to snags with NASA's mammoth Space Launch System rocket developed specifically for the lunar program.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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For all Miso’s efforts, the startup has hit snags.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Land mines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/land%20mines. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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