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
But Biden and his team should emphasize that a road map away from the ticking time bomb of absolute monarchy is the only way to ensure both the stability of Saudi Arabia and the survival of its royal family.
—
Madawi Al-Rasheed, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2021
Amid all the Niners’ terrible special teams play, this is a ticking time bomb.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2024
Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal community in the Los Angeles area, could be described as a geological ticking time bomb.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Sep. 2024
California ‘Tectonic time bomb:’ Mapping where massive California earthquakes cause the most shaking, destruction
Dec. 17, 2019
Certainly, there have been a few earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater in the last three decades that brought damage to California.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for time bomb 
Madawi Al-Rasheed, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2021
Amid all the Niners’ terrible special teams play, this is a ticking time bomb.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2024
Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal community in the Los Angeles area, could be described as a geological ticking time bomb.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Sep. 2024
California ‘Tectonic time bomb:’ Mapping where massive California earthquakes cause the most shaking, destruction
Dec. 17, 2019
Certainly, there have been a few earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater in the last three decades that brought damage to California.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for time bomb
Thesaurus Entries Near time bomb
Cite this Entry
“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time%20bomb. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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