land mine
noun
: a mine usually placed just below the surface of the ground and designed to be exploded usually by the weight of vehicles or troops passing over it
—often used figuratively
Every aspect of this scheme is a potential land mine.—
Henry A. Kissinger
Henry A. Kissingera political land mine
Synonyms
Examples of land mine in a Sentence
parents of teenagers never know when they might set off an emotional land mine
Recent Examples on the Web
Business looks at the state of things on the Hill and in presidential politics and sees more land mines than viable immigration reforms to rally around.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024
Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
These could include, for example, seeing armed groups withdraw from populated areas, reopening state development projects, and curbing concrete abuses such as the planting of land mines.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
Negotiators should aim to secure specific and verifiable commitments from armed groups to end practices such as recruiting children, planting land mines, and assassinating community leaders.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for land mine 
Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024
Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
These could include, for example, seeing armed groups withdraw from populated areas, reopening state development projects, and curbing concrete abuses such as the planting of land mines.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
Negotiators should aim to secure specific and verifiable commitments from armed groups to end practices such as recruiting children, planting land mines, and assassinating community leaders.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for land mine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'land mine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near land mine
Cite this Entry
“Land mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/land%20mine. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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