quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
plural quagmires
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
Examples of quagmire in a Sentence
That was six months ago, when the Defense secretary laughingly dismissed the idea that Iraq was, or could turn into, a quagmire. But as Rumsfeld sat down last Friday morning to face Sen. John McCain, who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison, no one was laughing.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of being clubbed with China, Russia and the Western powers, India was in a terrifying new quagmire.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 18 May 2025
On Monday, Trump grew angry at the questions of an ethical quagmire, including whether Qatar expected anything in exchange for the donation of the jetliner.
—Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025
Vietnam is a wound for many Americans: a bloody quagmire, a blot on our conscience, a war that claimed more than 58,000 American lives and shattered faith at home in the good intentions of the government.
—Leo Tran, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
After 19 months of war in Gaza, the Israeli government has decided to march deeper into the quagmire.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
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Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 18 May 2025
On Monday, Trump grew angry at the questions of an ethical quagmire, including whether Qatar expected anything in exchange for the donation of the jetliner.
—Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025
Vietnam is a wound for many Americans: a bloody quagmire, a blot on our conscience, a war that claimed more than 58,000 American lives and shattered faith at home in the good intentions of the government.
—Leo Tran, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
After 19 months of war in Gaza, the Israeli government has decided to march deeper into the quagmire.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(ə)r
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
1
: soft spongy wet ground that shakes or gives way under the foot
2
: a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape
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