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
Tackling this ticking time bomb requires swift and decisive action—the kind America excels at.
—
MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Directed by Moses from a screenplay he co-wrote with Federico Sargentone and Katja Horvat, the film follows protagonist Ham, who wakes up with a time bomb on his chest.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Appointing Mandelson was a time bomb, and the prime minister planted it.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Directed by Moses from a screenplay he co-wrote with Federico Sargentone and Katja Horvat, the film follows protagonist Ham, who wakes up with a time bomb on his chest.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Appointing Mandelson was a time bomb, and the prime minister planted it.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time bomb
volcano
Noun
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Another brilliant show of Earth's power was caught on camera over the weekend when a geyser of molten rock burst from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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This dormant volcano provided a majestic backdrop for the resort—our home base for five days.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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