time bomb

noun

1
: a bomb so made as to explode at a predetermined time
2
: something with a potentially dangerous or detrimental delayed reaction

Examples of time bomb in a Sentence

He's a time bomb getting ready to explode. If we don't do something about the pollution problem, we'll be sitting on a ticking time bomb.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Mahnaz’s son is a Tasmanian devil spinning his ticking time bomb energy into entrepreneurial pursuits (running a gambling ring at school), bullying classmates and yelling at any adult that interferes with his forcefield. Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025 Family travel in the summer is a bit like flying with a piña colada in one hand and a ticking time bomb in the other. Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 Furthermore, as the global energy demand continues to rise, especially in emerging economies which have very limited energy security, which makes the fossil fuel dependency a ticking time bomb. Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 Books Orwell’s 5 greatest essays: No. 1, ‘Politics and the English Language’ Nov. 8, 2013 Some Wodehouse lines are like time bombs, detonating with a momentary delay. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for time bomb

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of time bomb was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Time bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20bomb. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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