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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even before the latest release of the consumer-price index, inflation expectations had been climbing, a potential trouble spot in a market where stocks have largely shrugged off the U.S.-Iran conflict and the resulting energy shock.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 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

Budget constraints force cost-cutting measures as repairs are underway at San Clemente trouble spot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024

Gage didn’t need spies to know that Boston was a trouble spot.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

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