as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation
the region's political instability has turned it into a ticking time bomb
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Recent Examples of time bomb
There’s a great deal of tension going on because there’s a ticking time bomb element to it, but there’s also a desire for Frank to want to take River with him.
—
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Oct. 2024
Liam’s family members called him something else: a time bomb about to explode.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2025
Coincidentally, Japan’s population peaked in 2011, so don’t give me this demographic time bomb narrative.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Doug is a ticking time bomb …on several levels, probably.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Oct. 2024
Liam’s family members called him something else: a time bomb about to explode.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2025
Coincidentally, Japan’s population peaked in 2011, so don’t give me this demographic time bomb narrative.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Doug is a ticking time bomb …on several levels, probably.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time bomb
Noun
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Mountains rose, volcanoes erupted and the Atlantic Ocean was born.—
Alexandra Witze,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
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The left image features the expansive Tharsis plateau and its chain of dormant volcanoes, including the colossal Olympus Mons, which can be seen towering above the Martian clouds.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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