pandora's boxes

noun

plural of pandora's box
as in trials
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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandora's boxes
  1. trials
  2. pinpricks
Noun
  • In February, the FDA initially declined Moderna’s request for review of the new flu vaccine, citing inadequate trials despite previous conflicting feedback within the agency.
    — Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Based upon their replies, occupying Allied officials ranked their culpability, then tried the worst offenders — most famously in the Nuremberg trials, but also in numerous local tribunals.
    — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of trials
Noun
  • Father's Day, like so many holidays, birthdays and anniversaries, can be sharp pinpricks in a long expanse of grief that bring a flood of memories and pain to the surface.
    — Shay Martin, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
  • The snapshot, based on data collected in 2025 and released this week, highlights water ice in bright blue alongside intertwining dark dust lanes that weave through the region, dotted with pinpricks of light from newborn stars.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of pinpricks
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.

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

“Pandora's boxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandora%27s%20boxes. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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