minefield

American  

[mahyn-feeld] / ˈmaɪnˌfild /

noun

1. Military, Naval. an area of land or water throughout which explosive mines have been laid.

2. a situation fraught with potential problems or dangers.

   Businesses face an ethical minefield when they operate internationally.

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minefield British  

/ ˈmaɪnˌfiːld /

noun

1. an area of ground or water containing explosive mines

2. a subject, situation, etc, beset with hidden problems

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Etymology

Origin of minefield

First recorded in 1885–90; mine ² + field

Example Sentences

The situation is a minefield for investors to navigate—but it could be worthwhile to do so.

From Barron's

The workplace is an etiquette minefield, it turns out.

From The Wall Street Journal

Between it and Taylor Swift’s onslaught, the second half of 2025 was a minefield for the pop music intolerant.

From Salon

Dr John Appleby, a medical ethicist at Lancaster University, said the implications of using sperm so widely was a "vast" ethical minefield.

From BBC

Children can also still browse on several of the apps, like TikTok and YouTube, without accounts, a potentially riskier minefield of unfiltered content and advertisements - several platforms currently limit these on minors' accounts.

From BBC