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

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trouble spot

The final category, the cost of legal services, has been a trouble spot for years.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

The issues represent new hurdles for a longtime trouble spot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026

Ford’s electric vehicle division has been a trouble spot amid a slowdown in EV sales.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2024

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

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