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

“I’ve never been in a situation where I didn’t get healthcare when I needed it,” Thurman told ProPublica, comparing the condition to having “a time bomb you can’t control.”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

"With climate change, we're sitting on a ticking time bomb," the 32-year-old founder of Bee Safe Mosquito Control tells AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

“You must be held strictly accountable for your lab’s raw data. If you refuse to manage it, you are actively planting a ticking time bomb under your own career.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 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

On the held, the coaches were as gentle with him as ever, treating him once again as an explosive time bomb that could be set off by the slightest impulse.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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