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
For industries handling sensitive information, reliance on antiquated methods creates a ticking time bomb that fraudsters are eager to exploit.
—
Quora, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
What a ticking time bomb today’s Americans are leaving to our children.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025
Mahnaz’s son is a Tasmanian devil spinning his ticking time bomb energy into entrepreneurial pursuits (running a gambling ring at school), bullying classmates and yelling at any adult that interferes with his forcefield.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Family travel in the summer is a bit like flying with a piña colada in one hand and a ticking time bomb in the other.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Quora, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
What a ticking time bomb today’s Americans are leaving to our children.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025
Mahnaz’s son is a Tasmanian devil spinning his ticking time bomb energy into entrepreneurial pursuits (running a gambling ring at school), bullying classmates and yelling at any adult that interferes with his forcefield.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Family travel in the summer is a bit like flying with a piña colada in one hand and a ticking time bomb in the other.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time bomb
volcano
Noun
-
Geologists recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 3 miles down the volcano's slopes during the eruption.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
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However, a secret held for decades by the U.S. military is far more terrifying than any volcano.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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