time bomb

noun

1
: a bomb so made as to explode at a predetermined time
2
: something with a potentially dangerous or detrimental delayed reaction

Examples of time bomb in a Sentence

He's a time bomb getting ready to explode. If we don't do something about the pollution problem, we'll be sitting on a ticking time bomb.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Athena’s husband’s problems are a little less of a ticking time bomb, but equally contrived. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024 Europe’s demographic challenges are becoming a ticking time bomb for the region’s economy, with Morgan Stanley delivering a grim prediction for its effects on GDP. Jason Ma, Fortune Europe, 14 Oct. 2024 The ticking sound in capitals around the world is a demographic time bomb – of a sort unimaginable only a couple of generations ago. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2024 Is a crisis inevitable? DC: One thing that is perhaps comforting is that there’s no ticking time bomb. Andy Mills, Quartz, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for time bomb 

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of time bomb was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near time bomb

Cite this Entry

“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20bomb. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!