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 is a ticking time bomb hanging over the economy this year, because Trump’s first-term tax cuts are going to expire at year-end.
—
Kelly Evans, CNBC, 6 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Kelly Evans, CNBC, 6 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for time bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time bomb
volcano
Noun
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Excellent guide/driver combos take guests off-roading on geological Big 5 safari drives to see salt flats, geysers at 14,000 feet, canyons and dunes that rival Jordan and Utah, and a string of volcanoes that make this part of Chile one of the most active sites in the world.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
28 July 2025
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Iceland Iceland offers one of the most photogenic landscapes on Earth — including waterfalls, volcanoes and geothermal spas — and boasts the longest totality on land, at 2 minutes, 13.7 seconds.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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