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View synonyms for time bomb

time bomb

noun

  1. a bomb constructed so as to explode at a certain time.
  2. a situation, condition, etc., resembling such a bomb in having disastrous consequences in the future.


time bomb

noun

  1. a bomb containing a timing mechanism that determines the time at which it will detonate
  2. a situation which, if allowed to continue, will develop into a serious problem
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of time bomb1

First recorded in 1890–95
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Idioms and Phrases

A situation that threatens to have disastrous consequences at some future time, as in That departmental dispute is a time bomb just waiting to go off . This term alludes to an explosive device that is set to go off at a specific time. [First half of 1900s]
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Example Sentences

"Pieces of space junk are like ticking time bombs," observed Moriba Jah, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

From BBC

"We are facing a crisis of unemployment - for a population that's 2.4 million when you have almost 30% of those people unemployed, it is a crisis. It’s a ticking time bomb," he said.

From BBC

"I'm absolutely certain that it's a ticking time bomb," Judith says.

From BBC

In an interview last month, he had described the southern state of Chiapas as a "time bomb".

From BBC

In an interview last month, he had described the southern state of Chiapas as "a time bomb".

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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