time bomb

American  

noun

1. a bomb constructed so as to explode at a certain time.

2. a situation, condition, etc., resembling such a bomb in having disastrous consequences in the future.

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time bomb British  

noun

1. a bomb containing a timing mechanism that determines the time at which it will detonate

2. a situation which, if allowed to continue, will develop into a serious problem

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time bomb Idioms  

1. A situation that threatens to have disastrous consequences at some future time, as in That departmental dispute is a time bomb just waiting to go off. This term alludes to an explosive device that is set to go off at a specific time. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of time bomb

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time bomb

In retrospect, she says, it was "like a ticking time bomb."

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

But underneath the complex and expensive megamerger sits a potential time bomb that could be triggered if regulators elsewhere create significant roadblocks.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026

In recent months, the iconic ticking stopwatch of the CBS News magazine “60 Minutes” began to sound like a time bomb.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

“I feel like a ticking time bomb right now,” Waldorf told him.

From Salon ● May 27, 2026

Hitler was wounded by a time bomb in a briefcase placed under a conference table; he might have been killed if the case had been placed slightly closer to the chair where he was sitting.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• powder keg