trouble spot

American

noun

an area in which trouble exists or is expected to develop.

There are several diplomatic trouble spots in Central America.

trouble spot British

noun

a place of recurring trouble, esp of political unrest

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The economy is a particular trouble spot for the billionaire property developer.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

Budget constraints force cost-cutting measures as repairs are underway at San Clemente trouble spot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024

There is not the capacity to move troops around the country to concentrate them in the latest trouble spot.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2023

Profit margins are one potential trouble spot investors are focusing on.

From Reuters • Dec. 16, 2022

He wanted to discuss a trouble spot of increasing concern to the United States: a mountainous, heavily forested country winding more than a thousand miles along the coast of Southeast Asia.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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