as in risks
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
parents of teenagers never know when they might set off an emotional land mine
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Recent Examples of land mines
By 1999, the use, production and transport of antipersonnel land mines had been banned globally.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Russia has used land mines in its invasion of Ukraine, and in July accused Ukraine of doing so too, after Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.
—Thomas Friedman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Russia has used land mines in its invasion of Ukraine, and in July accused Ukraine of doing so too, after Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.
—Reuters, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.
—Thomas Friedman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for land mines
Noun
-
Handling sick or dead wild birds can spread the virus and pose risks to people, pets, and domestic flocks.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Experts say people should know their rights but caution that exercising them can come with risks, and people need to balance First Amendment freedoms with their own safety.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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Their 2025-26 season has been littered with injury landmines and other booby traps hidden in the walls of Ball Arena.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Your precise eye fixes friction early by making adjustments that prevent snags and give your bonds room to blossom.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
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Silky and quiet, the 10-denier nylon (100 percent recycled) proved durable enough to resist snags or rips over two years of heavy use in Colorado’s high peaks.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Land mines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/land%20mines. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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