time bomb

as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation the region's political instability has turned it into a ticking time bomb

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 time bomb For much of the film, that enticing idea undergirds the main plot line like a ticking time bomb. Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025 The insurance and housing sectors are scrambling to try to get ahead of this ticking time bomb. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025 The plan before the PUC was first proposed last year and has been criticized as bloated and a looming fiscal time bomb for ratepayers. Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025 The secret of Dale’s bisexuality looms like a ticking time bomb when a local gossip writer gets wind of the information. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time bomb
volcano
Noun
  • The island has been troubled by ash falls and lava flows since 1995, when the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted for the first time in hundreds of years.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcano is depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as the entrance to the underworld.
    NPR, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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