minefield

[ mahyn-feeld ]

noun

1. Military, Naval. an area of land or water throughout which explosive mines have been laid.
2. a situation fraught with potential problems or dangers:

   Businesses face an ethical minefield when they operate internationally.

minefield

/ ˈmaɪnˌfiːld /

noun

1. an area of ground or water containing explosive mines
2. a subject, situation, etc, beset with hidden problems

Word History and Origins

Origin of minefield¹

First recorded in 1885–90; mine ² + field

Example Sentences

While the pitch was no minefield there was certainly enough to keep the bowlers interested, so having got England three down early, West Indies would have been confident of pressing home their advantage.

From BBC

Drawn in, Gluesenkamp Perez appears less than sure-footed, pausing and carefully choosing her words, as though verbally picking her way through a political minefield — which she is.

From Los Angeles Times

“As you saw, two truck-loads could come and push it. It was nothing. Even if there was a minefield of 50 or 60 metres over there, it would have delayed Hamas for a few hours.”

From BBC

After record-breaking winter rain left Long Beach’s roads riddled with tens of thousands of potholes, residents grumbled about how long it would take to smooth out the motorist minefield.

From Los Angeles Times

He is planning to start visiting local schools in the next few weeks, to speak to students, but said the current situation was "a minefield".

From BBC