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pandora's box

noun

Definition of pandora's boxnext
as in trial
a source of many troubles; something that will lead to many problems Their parents are understandably afraid of opening a pandora's box if they buy their oldest child a car.

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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 pandora's box Being on a government payroll and possibly subject to Senate confirmation would open up a Pandora's box. — Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 Threat actors understand that breaching one MSP can open Pandora's box and give them access to dozens of client networks. — James Griffin, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026 Opening a box of old photos opens up a Pandora's box of emotions. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2026 And Talanoa Hufanga continued to fly around like a calamity let loose from Pandora's box, adding a key third-down pass-breakup on the Jets' final offensive drive. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025 Advances in technology have opened an exciting possibility or perhaps stirred a Pandora's box. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Meta's plan to generate synthetic content tailored to individual users — which attracted little notice this week amid a slew of product announcements — opens a whole new Pandora's box in an AI world already full of them. — Ina Fried, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandora's box
  1. trial
  2. hair shirt
  3. discomfort
  4. rub
Noun
  • They were held to answer on murder and torture charges Thursday after a four-day preliminary hearing in Compton, and face either life in prison or the death penalty if convicted at trial.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Several of Desronvil's fellow jurors who have spoken publicly since the trial say that deliberations eventually yielded an 11-1 split in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of trial
Noun
  • Four years later, an America-first cultural crackdown has freed the Met to cast off the hair shirt of reckoning and celebrate its diverse holdings in a spirit of defiance.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • And that gave birth to the worst Wolverine, which also gave birth to the idea that the suit is a hair shirt.
    — Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Definition of hair shirt
Noun
  • How much does nothing weigh, when the nothing is filled with longing, curiosity, confusion, discomfort, and grief?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Ireland’s slim but searching play presents an issue of deep discomfort and homes in on the subject of that larger communal response.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of discomfort
Noun
  • While Bo could often be won over with a treat, the Obamas said Sunny preferred attention and playtime, including running around with the family, rolling on the floor and getting belly rubs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Juicy and tender pork chops are made flavorful by a spicy rub, and the sauce is sweet and tangy.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rub

Browse Nearby Words

pandits
pandora's box
pandora's boxes
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Cite this Entry

“Pandora's box.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandora%27s%20box. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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