hornet's nest

American  

noun

1. a large amount of activity, trouble, hostility, or animosity.

   His investigation stirred up a hornet's nest, resulting in major shifts in personnel.

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Etymology

Origin of hornet's nest

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

The judges said when they directed the temple officials to produce complete files and records relating to the repair of the idols, "little did we realise, that we were in fact opening a hornet's nest".

From BBC

“Political leaders are all afraid of poking the hornet’s nest and taking a stand.”

From Los Angeles Times

He penned a memoir on growing up in the rural South as well as a book of poems, and he was the first president to write a novel — “The Hornet’s Nest,” about the South during the Revolutionary War.

From Los Angeles Times

“Do we really want to rattle the hornet’s nest?” if Trump wins, asked Regent José Hernández.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Metastasis operation is like kicking the hornet’s nest,” said Gustavo Flores-Macías, a professor of government and public policy at Cornell University who specializes in Latin America.

From New York Times

Related Words

• commotion
• difficulty
• hazard
• trouble